Never Having to Say You're Sorry
by Louise-King
Summary: Hermione is married and very unhappy. It takes a mistake at a party to make her realise how unhappy she is. HG/SS
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Most of the characters aren't mine, they were the creation of a much better writer than I am.

A/N: This is my first fanfic, although I write my own stories all the time, in the hope that one day someone will publish something of mine. There are so many great writers out there who write this stuff so I thought I'd give it a go. So bear in mind that this is my first time writing about someone else's characters.

A young woman sat in front of a mirror, the large expensively furnished room reflected along with her pretty face. She was pretty, her face smooth and free of wrinkles, tanned with only light freckles around her nose. Once she had reached maturity she had lost the excess weight that had plagued her throughout her childhood, leaving her fairly slim, but on the whole a very average build.

She had large brown eyes that almost perfectly matched her hair that had split ends from where she had attempted to straighten it but damaged it in the process. It reached just below her shoulder blades and was curly despite her efforts.

She put on some black mascara that made her eyelashes look longer and fuller. She fully believed that women didn't need make up to look beautiful, but she never went out without it, funny that. Behind her she saw the white glossed door open, and a man walk in. He was quite short, but still taller than she was, and he had sandy hair that was swept back and stuck down with gel. His eyes were dark blue and where framed with long eyelashes that matched the colour of his hair. His skin was pale and he was clean-shaven, sandy coloured facial hair just looked odd. He was dressed in a smart black suit accompanied by a grey tie and was reading the newspaper.

"Hi," she said to him smiling.

"Good morning," he replied not looking up from the paper.

"Anything interesting in there today?" She asked inquisitively putting the top backon the mascara.

"Not really, work has been really slow since your man what's his name was killed."

"His name was Voldemort, Greg, and don't call our man that makes us sound like we were in league with him or something."

"Come on Hermione, you know what I meant, he was one of your lot, you know magic."

Hermione sighed. It was pointless Greg Layton just didn't understand about anything magical. Greg was a Muggle that was working for the Ministry of Defence. When Voldemort tried to exercise his power to try and get control, him and his friends from the MoD where brought in to lend a hand, and where told to keep what they knew of the magical world a secret. Hermione had met him while still at school, but she had fell in love almost instantly. Well why not? He was very handsome. They spoke very little about the war years, and most of the time she was grateful, not wishing to relive some of the horrible things that they witnessed, but sometimes she felt the way they were denying it happened was not healthy.

"Well, I for one am glad he's dead, so are a lot of people," Hermione said putting on some lip gloss accentuating her lips, which she believed to be the best feature on her face. "I'm really looking forward to tonight."

"Yes should be good fun," Greg commented still reading the paper, now sitting on the end of the large bed. Hermione smiled at him in the mirror. She stood up and made her way over to him. She sat on his lap blocking his view of the paper.

"Are you really looking forward to it?" She asked kissing him on the cheek.

"I've just said haven't I? Charles and Margaret are looking forward to meeting you finally."

"Charles and Margaret?" She asked absently, kissing his neck.

"Yes, my friends form the Ministry," Greg said craning his neck to look at the paper ignoring Hermione's attentions.

"From the Ministry?" She asked in a slightly higher voice looking at him in confusion, her brow furrowing.

"Yes, Hermione it's their party," Greg said finally looking up from the paper. Hermione suddenly realised that they had been talking about completely different things.

"Their party? We're supposed to be going to Draco's engagement party. Remember?" Hermione said feeling angry with her husband.

"Sorry pet, I don't remember," he said as she slid off his lap and back onto her feet. "We can't let Charles and Margaret down."

"Bugger Charles and Margaret, Greg! I can't let Draco down, he's my friend and he's getting married, I have to go!" Hermione was really angry now, she should have known that his Ministry friends would be considered more important than hers were.

"I am in line for a very big promotion, Hermione. Think about all that extra money that we'll have," Greg said putting down his paper, annoyed at his wife's irrational behaviour.

"I don't care about the money, Greg," Hermione pleaded but Greg rolled his eyes.

"Of course you care about the money, everybody does. Now stop being silly and come to the party with me." Hermione shook her head sadly.

"Sorry Greg but I can't, this engagement party is too important to me." Greg stood up suddenly, he was angry now.

"Fine!" He shouted making Hermione jump. "Fine! I'm so glad I can count on my wife! Well I want you to know that if I don't get that promotion and they give it to someone who is far less qualified, then it's all your fault!"

It was emotional blackmail, but Hermione had fallen for it too many times now. She had become immune to all the emotional little mind games he tried to play with her, and bribery hadn't worked for over a year now.

Everything had seemed so rosy and happy when they first got married. Basking in the glory that fame had brought them all they had quickly married despite everyone telling her what a mistake she was making. Greg had been intelligent and handsome, everything she'd dreamed of in a man, and he'd seemed to like her for who she was, which for her was a big turn on.

But it had quickly faded. Greg had turned out to be an exaggerated version of Percy Weasley who, although she empathised with him a great deal, had always seemed a bit too obsessed with work. She admired dedication, but she had once made the mistake of living for her work and it had took two mischievous, trouble seeking little boys to show her how unhappy with that she was. 

But Greg didn't have a Harry or a Ron and he had continued to live to work rather than work to live. Hermione wanted to have some fun in her spare time, not worry about the next rung on the ladder.

She had got used to Greg's workaholic attitude but he seemed so humourless at times. She wasn't allowed to laugh about his job or his boss, despite his boss' eccentric behaviour, and stories from her childhood angered him. He'd sit and lecture her about how foolish the three of them had been, and she suddenly realised what a complete bitch she must have sounded when she made exactly the same speech to Harry and Ron.

They never went out, rarely talked about anything besides his work, and they never made love. That was something which she told herself and him that she could live with, but no matter how shallow she thought it sounded, she longed for that attention, needing to experience the pleasure that only that act could bring. Greg found it embarrassing and the first few times they had done it where a total disaster. Just as she thought he was getting the hang of it he stopped saying that he wasn't in the mood. He had been using that excuse for two years now.

Every time they had an argument like this, Hermione promised herself she wouldn't cry, but she always did. At first she'd cried because she had upset Greg, the man she loved, but then that faded and the only feelings that made her cry were the feelings of failure and regret.

She removed mascara that had run from her eyelashes down her cheeks and applied some more, using a charm to make her eyes look less puffy. She couldn't go to Draco's engagement party looking like that.

Draco Malfoy. If you'd have told her nine years ago that she would one day be going to his engagement party she would have laughed until it hurt. But here she was, getting herself made up to do just that. It was so unbelievable, that the same stuck up, pompous rich kid who had made hers and her friends lives as miserable as he could make them turned out to be a good friend when they needed him. He had been afraid of his father, after witnessing the brutal way he treated his wife, Draco's mother. But his love for his mother outweighed his fear for his father and when she died as a result of her injuries he realised the only way his father could be made to pay would be to have him finally convicted of the crimes he had committed in the past. A year ago Lucius Malfoy died in Azkaban prison, nothing more than a soulless shell.

It as the death that had freed Draco and he'd finally been allowed to get on with the rest of his life. He had net a girl and they had fell in love, and now they were getting married. She only had to look at them to realise that what was between Greg and her was no longer love.

"Hermione?" Came a soft voice from behind her. She turned and saw Greg standing there, an apologetic look on his handsome face. "I'm sorry love," he continued, "it's just, well you know how important my job is to me."

"I understand Greg, I always have but my friends are important to _me_," Hermione said not quite forgiving him.

"Look, I phoned Charles and Margaret, they understand said we can drop by another time."

Hermione ran up and hugged her husband, feeling happierthan she had for ages. It had been the first time that Greg had ever backed down and apologised, she felt they were making good progress.

"Thank you!" She said kissing him. He got embarrassed and pushed her away, but kept her arms around his neck.

"Well, we'd better get going," Greg said wiping her lip- gloss from his soft lips.

Hermione beamed at her husband and grabbed her handbag. She was dressed in a simple medium length black skirt, and a dark purple silk top, with a blackleather jacket over it. She looked very pretty, the tailored shirt showed off the curves that she had once hated but now found she rather liked.

"How do I look?" She asked doing a little twirl. He looked at her and gave her a thin smile.

"You look very nice," he said turning away. She shrugged at his rather dismissive behaviour and smiled.

They left the house and Greg walked towards the car, but Hermione stopped him.

"You won't be able to get there by car," she said laughing a little. Greg didn't like the way she laughed at him; he didn't like to be a figure of derision.

"Well how do we get there?" He snapped.

"Follow me," she said and walked off down the road.

The area they lived in was very Middle Class. She'd always lived in areas like this ever since she was a child. She liked the comfort of the large houses but she often wished that she could live somewhere less ordinary, unusual, like where Ron lived.

"I set this up this morning," she said.

They got to an alleyway that ran between two roads, lined with expensive double garages. Once they were out of sight she held Greg's hand, touched a coke can that was lying on the floor and they disappeared.

They landed rather unceremoniously outside a house that was quite crooked and small. It had two floors and windows dotted all around, some in the most unusual places.

"What sort of house is this?" Greg asked looking at the house with distaste.

"This is Draco's house, cool isn't it?" Hermione said. She loved this house, she loved the obscure door that was just as crooked as the house.

"They're going to hold a party here, there isn't enough room."

"Never judge by appearances," Hermioone whispered in his ear and then dragged him to the crooked door.

"Passssssssssword?" The serpent door knocker hissed and Greg jumped back in surprise. Hermione laughed again, earning another glare from her husband.

"Tying the knot," Hermione said, then turned to Greg. "Draco really likes that expression."

They walked through the door and were greeted by a glowing transparent ghost. Greg jumped again but Hermione reassured him that it was all right. The ghost was dressed in a long robe and he had long hair and a small pointy beard.

"Hello, Hermione," the ghost said in a soft calm voice. 

"Hi Marcus," she said smiling at the ghost. She turned to Greg who looked horrified. "He's the old owner of the house, but don't worry he's very friendly."

They walked through another door and found themselves in a cavernous room, with high ceilings and massive windows. What had looked small from the outside was in fact huge inside.

"Are we in the same house?" Greg asked quietly.

"I told you not to judge by appearances," Hermione said smiling. Greg was not smiling, he didn't like the obscure thing s that went on in these magical places. He wanted to be somewhere where the door didn't talk to you, where there were no ghosts called Marcus, somewhere that didn't look small outside but turn out to be as big as a castle.

A young blonde man walked towards them smiling broadly, reaching for Hermione's hand and kissing it lightly.

"So glad you could make it," he drawled, then turned to Greg. "Greg, I haven't seen you in ages." He took Greg's hand and shook it.

"Hello again, Draco, congratulations," Greg said grinning somewhat reluctantly.

"Come and join the party. Harry and Ron have been here for ages, I think they'd better lay of the alcohol, they've had quite a lot already."

Hermione laughed and dragged Greg of to see Harry and Ron. Harry was drinking a glass of whiskey and watching Ron dancing with a pretty brunette.

"Hermione!" He shouted throwing his arms around her. He was still quite short and skinny, but his cheekbones had become more defined making him look very masculine. 

"Hi Harry, good to see you."

"Hi Greg, how are you?" He asked shaking Greg's hand.

"Hello Harry, I'm fine thank you, working hard, and you?" He asked.

"Oh great thanks, were playing Puddlemere next week, should be interesting, especially as we're trying to buy their keeper, you remember Oliver Wood right?" Harry shouted over the loud music.

"Go Cannons!" Hermione shouted and Greg shushed her. Harry looked at Greg in confusion, wondering why he'd shushed Hermione.

"Hi Hermione!!!" Ron shouted from the edge of the dance floor before being dragged back by the brunette. Harry and Hermione both laughed.

"He's been dancing for about half an hour now, he's gonna be knackered." The two friends laughed.

"Hermione!" Came a woman's voice from behind her. She looked round and saw a tall thin blonde woman standing there, in a beautiful green dress. Her blue eyes shined with happiness, well why not, she was engaged to a handsome rich man.

"Claire, you look lovely," Hermione said giving her a hug.

"So do you, your figure looks great in that shirt." Claire worked in a tailors in Hogsmead, along with Parvati Patil who was currently draped over poor Seamus who was trying to shake her off.

Claire showed Hermione the ring. It was beautiful; a diamond set in a platinum band, very expensive but not flashy or tacky.

Hermione looked around seeing a lot of familiar faces. Dean Thomas dancing with his wife Rachel who must be about three months pregnant by now. Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit jealous but then there was plenty of time left yet.

"That guy there is Neville, you know the one I've told you about," Greg nodded and Hermione continued, "still hasn't got a girlfriend I see." 

She walked over to the drinks table while Greg started talking to Bill Weasley, who was as handsome as ever she noticed absently.

She reached for a bottle of vodka and poured it into a glass, making sure not to out too much in it, she had to get home tonight and she wasn't looking forward to having a disapproving Greg dragging her back, tutting and lecturing her about alcohol poisoning.

"Good evening," said a smooth, very familiar voice. She looked round and sure enough standing next to her was Professor Snape. She jumped rather startled by his appearance at the party. He looked very much the same as she remembered him, although he looked less fatigued and irritated, but he had done since the war ended. He looked much better in fact, and she'd always thought he looked rather sexy anyway. At first she thought she was mad and she denied she felt anything other than hate towards him. Then she had made friends with a Ravenclaw sixth year, when she was in her seventh year, who frequented the library. They got to know each other quite well and she became a sort of part time member of the dream team. She had also confessed less than A sexual feelings for their bad tempered Professor and both were relieved that they were not alone in that thought. 

"Professor, what are you doing here?" She asked realising as soon as she had said it what a stupid question it was. He humoured her though, and refrained from saying something sarcastic, he must be in a good mood.

"Draco invited me, I was his guardian when he left home if you remember," he said his voice as silky as ever but lacking the edge that it had developed during the war years.

"Yes I remember, sorry."

"Quite all right, Mrs Layton," he said. It sounded weird to here him call her Mrs Layton, but not unpleasant. There isn't a word in the whole world that could sound unpleasant when said in that voice. 

Greg came over to them.

"Oh Greg, this is Professor Snape he was one of my teachers at school," Hermione said. Greg turned to look at the tall man and was slightly startled by his gothic appearance. Snape gave the smaller man a nasty smile which unnerved Greg. Snape allowed himself an inner smile of triumph at Layton's reaction. He'd still got it.

"A pleasure," he said and then turned around to Hermione. "Hermione," he said and Snape raised his eyebrow in what looked like amusement. Hermione blushed, embarrassed by her husbands rudeness. "I have to go, I have an early morning meeting tomorrow."

"Greg, I can't leave now I've only just got here," she hissed. Snape turned his attention to the drinks in the table and pretended not to listen. Hermione knew that he was only being polite and that he was really listening. This made her even more embarrassed.

"Well, I have to go Hermione," Greg said annoyed.

"Fine!" Hermione snapped. "Touch the old shoe that's on the floor outside the house, you'll end up in the alley by our place." He looked shocked that she wasn't coming with him.

"Bye then!" He said in a harsh whisper and stormed off.

Hermione turned back to Snape.

"Don't say anything," she said thinking that he was about to make some vicious sarcastic comment.


	2. Chapter Two

"I wasn't going to say anything," Snape said back pouring another glass of whiskey. 

He sat down at a table that was near by, and to his surprise Hermione joined him. His first impressions of this girl, when she arrived at Hogwarts at the age of eleven had not been good. He considered her to be far too sure of herself, the sort of person a class depended on. They knew she would answer the questions so they didn't bother to learn the answers, and she let them do it and it annoyed him. He had made sure she never did it in his class though. He scared her out of ever answering questions and therefor the rest of the class had to know the answers.

He did however think she was extremely intelligent and in her last year rather beautiful. It wasn't often that a girl as young as she was in her seventh year would interest him, but ever so often there was one that would seem so mature and attractive that he couldn't help the odd lustful thought. It was hard not to when newly developed girls were walking around giving off pheromones and doing their damnedest to attract the opposite sex. 

Hermione Granger had been one of these girls, women, whatever. Women sounded better, made him sound less like a Paedophile. Anyway she was certainly a woman now, that shirt showed that. 

He found that he was staring at her breasts and had to quickly avert his eyes. It was best not to give the poor woman the impression that he was a pervert.

"So," he said feeling the need to strike up a conversation after he nearly got caught looking at her breasts, "what have you been up to?" 

"Oh, nothing much, working as a lecturer for Wizards training to be become Auror's," Hermione said taking a swig of her drink. "I gave up being an Auror after the war."

"Which University do you work for?" Snape asked.

"None, I'm free lance," she replied.

"Free lance?" He said impressed. "You must be good."

"I am," Hermione said then laughed. "How arrogant do I sound." 

"Very, but don't worry I'm hardly one to judge." Hermione smiled. She couldn't believe she was having a decent conversation with this man. "Do you know, that this is the second engagement party I've been to this week, everybody's getting married."

"Who was the other one for?" Hermione asked.

"My cousin Luka from Italy," he replied with a scowl, "they had ultra violet lights, I hate those, I glow a funny colour." Hermione laughed and nearly spat her drink everywhere and was pleased to see the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly. He couldn't help notice how attractive she looked when she was laughing, well more attractive than usual. She had looked very unhappy when her husband had left rather abruptly, silly, stupid man. If he had this woman as his wife he wouldn't leave her side at a party like this, with over sexed single men on the look out for a pretty woman. He knew they were at this party, he was one of them.

"I'm saying nothing," she said still laughing.

"No go on say it, I don't mind. I look almost yellow," he said examining the skin in his elegant hands. Hermione admired them for a second, perhaps a second longer than she should have done. 

"It's just a lack of vitamin D all you need is…" He cut her off.

"Don't say it, don't say all I need is a holiday in the sun. Poppy's always saying that to me." Hermione was worried for a moment that she had offended him. He recognised her worry and gave her a small smile. She smiled in response. There was something about him that was different from how she remembered him at school. His eyes didn't seem as cold and dead as they had done; maybe it was her imagination. She was sexually frustrated and to suddenly run into the object of her schoolgirl desires was a big shock to the system.

"Erm I don't quite know how to say this but, erm." Snape looked amused at her lack of articulation. "It's just you seem a lot different than you did at school."

"Of course I do. Are you the same at work as you are at home?" He asked. Hermione thought about this.

"No," she said shaking her head.

"Well then why should I be." He took a sip of his drink and continued. "I mean I still have quite a short temper, all ways have done so that will never change. I used to be a lot worse but I really can't be bothered any more, it takes so much effort to be bitter and twisted. Besides, I have nothing to be bitter about, my past is behind me now I have moved on." Hermione smiled again, realising that she had smiled more today than she had done for months. She was pleased that he had found happiness in his new post war life. If anyone deserved it, he did. They looked at each other, both feeling the same kind of tension neither wanting to break it.

"Hermione!" Came a voice that broke the tension making both of them jump. It was Ron, hot and sweaty from dancing, his red hair clinging to his head. Snape scowled slightly, far more diminished than the one he used at school but a scowl none the less. Hermione shivered at this, she'd found that quite sexy at school. Her and her Ravenclaw friend had laughed about their fantasies on many occasions.

"Come and dance with me!" He said breathlessly as he ran up beside her. "Hello," he said to the professor who nodded back in reply. "Come on come and dance." He pulled her to her feet.

"Excuse me, I'll have to dance or he'll be on at me all night," Hermione said to Snape who nodded in understanding.

He sat there watching the beautiful woman being dragged around the dance floor by Ron Weasley. 

"Hey!" Someone said patting his shoulder. Then two men dragged two chairs so they could sit either side of him. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black sat down both breathless from dancing and smelling of alcohol.

War does funny things to people, it creates friendships that would never have been formed but once they had would be hard to break. These three men had been forced to put aside their differences to help with the cause and, although they fought a great deal in the first few years still do even now, trust began to form between them and soon they became reliant on one another. It was a hard bond to break once it had been made, despite how much they annoyed each other.

"Do you realise," Sirius slurred into Snape's ear, "that you have been talking to the most beautiful woman in this building, with the exception of that on there," he said pointing to a blonde, elegant woman who walked past and winked at the three men. They all stared for a while and then remembered the conversation they'd been having. "A very beautiful woman who seemed to be flirting with you and you didn't ask her to dance."

"She wasn't flirting with me, she's a married woman or had you forgotten?" Sirius thought about this for a moment, the alcohol had slowed down his brain function.

"Oh yeah, where is the irritating little Muggle?" Sirius asked looking around for Greg. It was no secret that Sirius didn't like Greg, he found him boring, annoying and nowhere near good enough for Hermione.

"He left," Snape said, "has an early meeting tomorrow." Remus snorted.

"He was only here five minutes, what an idiot." Remus shared his friends dislike of Greg Layton.

"Did you bring that woman you were seeing, what was her name?" Sirius asked Snape struggling to focus on anything.

"Angela and no, we finished. There was never anything real between us anyway," Snape replied watching Hermione dance with her red headed friend.

"Just sex hey?" Remus asked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah," Snape replied.

"She wasn't the sort you could talk to was she," Sirius said. "Not like Hermione."

"She is very intelligent and interesting."

"And sexy," Remus cut in. "Oh come on we know you fancy her."

Hermione looked over to where she had been sitting and saw that Sirius and Remus had joined Snape at the table. She couldn't help noticing what an attractive, rather erotic picture the three of them made. She had always thought that Sirius was handsome with his black curly hair and gorgeous brown eyes. Remus was the shy cute one with his messy unkempt appearance, and Snape; he would be her first choice with his sensual voice and elegant hands and sexy scowl. She smiled to herself, she had a weakness for older men, Viktor had been older than she was and Greg was by about eight years.

"You always used to fancy him!" Ron shouted over the music, noticing where Hermione was looking. "He's just split up with his girlfriend, why don't you go for it?" She looked shocked at her friend.

"I'm married, remember?" Ron rolled his eyes and they carried in dancing.

"So do you think I should ask her to dance?" Snape asked his two companions.

"Yes, I think you should," Remus replied taking a swig of his drink.

"Yeah, show her what a real Wizard's got instead of the stupid Muggle she's married to," Sirius said sneering at the thought of Greg Layton.

"Why don't _you_ show her what a real Wizard's got?" Snape said to Sirius taking his drink off him and setting it down on the table, feeling that he'd had enough. Sirius frowned at his loss of drink but soon forgot about it.

"Because my friend, you are the one she was flirting with."

"No arguing with him on that one, Sev," Remus chimed in picking up Sirius' discarded drink and downing it in one. Snape scowled, the two of them had called him that ever since they'd heard his mother call it him. 

"Don't call me that," he snapped and they both giggled like school children.

"Come on Sev ask her to dance," Sirius said laughing.

"Yeah Sev come on."

"If I do it will you stop calling me that?" The two men nodded, as they were unable to stop laughing. "All right, I'll ask her when the next song comes on."

Sirius and Remus patted him on the shoulder and left whispering to each other.

Harry was sitting at a table talking to Draco. Remus and Sirius walked over to them, both chatting intently to each other and giggling.

"Harry, Draco come here, we've got a good idea," Sirius said and they dragged the two younger men off their chairs.

When the song had finished Ron finally let go of Hermione both were laughing at the manic way they had been dancing. Hermione said she was going to get a drink and Ron walked over to Harry and Sirius who were motioning him to come over to them.

As Hermione walked back to where she had been sitting and downed the rest of her drink feeling light headed. Snape took a large swig of his drink and stood up. 

"Miss Layton," he started but she cut him off.

"Please call me Hermione, I'm sick of that name." The alcohol she had been drinking brought out the truth. She didn't want to be a married woman to this man. Ron was right, she fancied him, more than she had ever fancied hr husband, and right now she was seriously considering sleeping with him. Assuming that he wanted to. 

"All right Hermione, would you like to dance?" He asked and held his breath waiting for a reply. To his relief she smiled.

  
"I'd be happy to, Severus." He was startled, hearing her say his name like that, but he had to admit she made the name sound good. Hermione had enjoyed saying it as well, she had called him that privately to herself since her seventh year.

He took her hand just as a song was starting. It was a slow, romantic song, the sort he despised. He looked over at Sirius and the others; they were standing by the sound system. He shot them an evil look and they gave him a cheesy smile and waved at him. They laughed at the glare he gave them. It was a set up.

He went through with the dance, even though he was set up, and even though it was making him uncomfortably hot.

Hermione was enjoying the dance. Ron had been sweaty from dancing far too much, but Severus had only just started dancing and he smelled wonderful. He smelled expensive. He was warm as well, that was something she hadn't expected, but now it seemed ridiculous to think otherwise, he was human, all humans are warm. She had always imagined that he would feel strong, and that she would feel almost protected in his embrace and she was right. It was the primitive female side of her that swooned over the proof of his strength, and that side seemed to be dominating the situation. She was feeling light-headed being in such close contact and she was becoming very aroused. 

Severus leaned forward slightly so he could smell her hair. It smelled of strawberries and something else that he couldn't quite place, very feminine, very arousing. Wow it was getting hot in the room, his trousers were becoming far too tight and it felt like his stomach was doing somersaults. He groaned slightly and Hermione looked up at him.

"Are you all right?" She asked, concerned. He smiled down at her.

"Fine, I'm fine," he replied his voice weaker than it had been.

"You smell great," Hermione said then wishing she hadn't. Damn the alcohol. Severus chuckled slightly, the deep sound vibrated through her making her shiver, turning her on even more.

"Cold?" Severus asked, feeling stupid after asking that, of course she wasn't cold, it's bloody boiling in here.

"No not quite," she said looking up at him, into those dark unreadable eyes of his. They didn't seem expressionless like they did usually, but she still couldn't read them. There was an emotion in them that she recognised but couldn't quite place.

That tension was back again, and it was stronger now, making there skin tingle where they were in contact. Severus looked into her eyes and saw what looked like arousal. Maybe Sirius had been right, maybe she had been flirting with him. She pressed herself against him and rested her head on his chest. Severus could feel the curves of her body, very female curves, that he always found attractive in women. He was trying to keep himself in check, thinking about cold showers so as to avoid any embarrassing incidents. But alas his brain was under the influence of alcohol so his thoughts kept getting dragged back, kicking and screaming to the wonderfully arousing woman in his arms.

The song ended and they walked off the dance floor together. She picked up a drink and downed it straight away; she was thirsty because of all the dancing but the alcohol would not help. She felt too hot; she needed to get some fresh air.

"I need some air," she said smiling at Severus. She walked out and he followed her, pulling his jacket off the back of his chair.

Sirius nudged Remus as Hermione and Severus left the room. Remus gave his friend a cheeky smile and they both shook hands to congratulate each other, before going off to sort out their own love lives.

Outside Hermione shivered as the cold night air hit her heated skin, cooling her almost instantly. She heard Severus step out of the house with her and she turned to him and smiled. He smiled back and she shivered again, this time though it was because of that smile, that rarely seen, devastatingly handsome smile. Her knees became weaker and she was debating whether to lean on him, desperate to be closer to him, to inhale that beautiful scent, feel the body that was hidden by his mysterious black clothing. 

He saw her shiver and put it down to the chilly night air so he draped his jacket over her shoulders. She thanked him and put her arms through the sleeves, laughing at how big it looked on her.

She walked towards Severus and pressed herself up against him like she had done earlier, moulding her body to his in the same way, only this time there was no music, no reason why she should do this unless she wanted him. The alcohol had almost killed his conscience and he put out of mind all thought of her being married to someone else, and pressed his lips to hers, slowly wanting to savour the amazing feeling he knew was going to accompany this kiss.

She closed her eyes, revelling in the wonderful sensations that shot through her. The sensations that Greg never gave her, never had given her, in all the years they'd been married. His lips were firm but the skin on them was soft, the kiss felt wonderful but she wanted so much more. Her lips were plump and coated with lip-gloss that tasted like vanilla. Their lips moved against each other, creating a wonderful friction that was sending them higher and higher into a state of bliss

She pressed herself harder to him and was now close enough to feel the evidence of his arousal against her stomach. She was so excited by the thought that he did actually want her. this man that she had fantasised about for so long actually wanted her as much as she wanted him. 

As her body came into contact with this very sensitive area he groaned softly making her feel even more aroused. Greg's lack of enthusiasm where sex was concerned made her feel insecure about her own attractiveness, but now those feelings were erased and replaced by a feeling of power, the power of her own sexuality. This man who had done nothing more than dance with her and kiss her had made her feel like a woman again, a desirable woman. The feeling was overwhelming and it was completely consuming her making her want this man more every second.

The kiss deepened and their tongues met, making the kiss more passionate. It was getting hotter every second and her arms found their way around him, her fingers twisting through the short hairs on the back of his neck. His hands were on her waist and she felt the heat radiating from them. But his hands didn't stay there long, they moved down so they were resting on her buttocks pulling her closer to him still.

He pulled away slowly but continued to kiss down the column of her throat. She arched her back offering her breasts to him, and who was he to refuse? He dragged his hands slowly over her hips, up her sides then to her breasts. She shivered with the sensations that this caused and then gasped as his warm hands cupped her breasts.

"Hermione," he whispered in her ear making her moan at the feeling of his hot breath. That voice could send off into orgasm all by itself. "This is perhaps not the best place to do this." She couldn't agree more.

She led him back into the house and up crooked staircase. She opened the door to the nearest room and was glad to see it was a bedroom, but the way she felt right now he could have taken her against the wall outside and she'd be happy. It was dark in the room, the only light was a storm light outside that was coming though the window.

The door closed behind him and she locked it making sure some drunken person needing somewhere to collapse wouldn't disturb them.

He took her back up in his arms and kissed her passionately, the kiss outside paled in comparison to this one. She worked on the buttons of his shirt eventually losing her patience and ripping the last few off. He chuckled at her eagerness and hoped that after all this he wouldn't disappoint her. He hadn't had any problems in the past but he'd had quite a bit to drink, he didn't want to disappoint her or embarrass himself. The silk shirt slid off his shoulders and down to the floor.

He clicked his fingers and the buttons to her shirt fell off and clattered to the floor. She looked up at him in surprise and admiration and he gave a smug smile. Sirius _had_ told him to show her what a real Wizard's got. He really hadn't needed to click his fingers, just concentrate, not easy after drinking some much alcohol, but that didn't look as good. He repeated this and her skirt fell to the floor joining her shirt.

Hermione felt embarrassed. She always felt this way when taking her clothes of. Clothes could hide a less than perfect figure but when she was naked she was exposed in more ways than one. He didn't say anything though, and his facial expression definitely didn't show disgust or repulsion. On the contrary his eyes sparkled so much more as he stared down at her body.

He could not see her very well but the silhouette of her figure looked very alluring. He could see her apprehension however, so he sat down on the edge of the queen size bed and pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling his hips, so she could feel the effect her body had on him. She felt it and felt so much more confident, also so much more aroused. He kissed her passionately while he reached round for the catch of her bra. The room was dark so Hermione thought he wouldn't be able to undo it but she was very wrong, he had it undone in no time at all and it slid down her arms. I was obvious that he was quite well practised at this, but that was good, she wanted to be shown what it could be like.

"You are beautiful," he said in that voice that made her shiver. She smiled at the compliment and ran her fingers through his hair making him shiver.

He kissed her breasts while his fingers stroked up and down her spine and she moaned loudly in arousal; she hadn't felt like this in ages, and never with Greg. Everywhere on her body seemed to come alive and she was suddenly aware of parts she didn't know she had.

He rolled her over so she was lying on her back and stood up to take his trousers off. She lay back and watched him, noticing how comfortable he was undressing. She watched as he removed his shoes, socks, trousers and whatever underwear he was wearing, she couldn't see because it was so dark, but she imagined it would be black whatever it was.

He came back to lie next to her and began to pull her underwear off adding them to the pile of their clothes that were collecting on the floor. He did this so slowly that it frustrated her and she moaned to show him her frustration. He chuckled but carried on at the same pace. Kissing her once more he positioned himself between her thighs and she began to explore his body with her hands. She ran her hot hands over his back and over his shoulders, running over his chest. She couldn't see him but she didn't mind, the darkness had heightened their other senses and it increased the pleasure they were feeling. She felt the muscles that lay beneath the heated skin and moaned at how firm his body felt in comparison to Greg's which was skinny from under eating and over working. She reached even further down and felt his erection, his hips bucked involuntarily. She smiled at the feel and the length trying not to think of Greg, he was nothing like Severus.

'Especially not there,' she thought acidly about her husband. 

But any thought of Greg flew out of her mind when Severus reached down with his hand and began to check how ready she was, not thinking he could control himself any longer.

"Shit," he swore when he felt how wet she was, knowing now that he couldn't control himself.

He brought her legs up so they could wrap around his waist and he thrust forward gently. He had intended to be quite gentle but that wasn't what she wanted and she thrust her hips forward and he slid in completely and they both cried out.

He abandoned his slow pace and began to thrust forcefully making her moan loudly, and even he couldn't stop the groans that were emanating from him as the pleasure increased.

Hermione was saying all sorts of things between the cries of delight, complimentary, arousing things that took them both higher and higher, until they both cried out in release trying to muffle the sounds with kisses. 

When they finally came down from the dizzying height they had both reached they just lay there both breathing heavily from the exertion. He rolled off her and lay on his back as she rolled over too and threw her arm over his waist resting her head on his chest feeling tired and slightly dizzy. They both fell asleep feeling sated and happy, both smiling. 


	3. Chapter Three

The morning sun shone through the gap in the curtains filling the large room that Hermione and Severus had fallen asleep in after their moment of passion. Hermione stirred as the sunlight hit her eyes and as she did she woke the man next to her.

She looked at him in a mixture of horror and surprise as she started to remember what they had done last night.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed as she sat bolt up right in bed. The covers fell off her and she saw that she was naked. Suddenly shy of being so exposed to him, even after everything they had done, she pulled the covers back over her.

"Good morning to you too," Severus replied bitterly as he sat up rubbing his temples as he felt the headache that his hangover induced.

"I can't believe this, this is bad, very bad," Hermione babbled as she climbed out the bed and searched through the pile of clothes on the floor.

"Funny that wasn't what you were saying last night, I remember you saying something about it been very good actually." Hermione tried to glare but winced as she felt a headache start to form as well.

"Severus, I'm married, this shouldn't have happened," Hermione pleaded. "I don't know what possessed me to do this."

"I believe you were angry with your husband for abandoning you," Severus said sitting up in the bed wishing he had a hangover relief potion with him.

"Yes, but that hardly condones adultery," Hermione said sharply. Severus was strangely hurt by the thought of last night being reduced to something as sordid as adultery, but that was what it had been.

"Then maybe you should go back home to your boring Muggle husband and kiss and make up," Severus snapped at her, wanting to hurt her as much as she was hurting him right now.

She did feel hurt, but she was too overwhelmed with guilt to worry about that. They got dressed in an uncomfortable silence and soon she was ready to leave. As she walked to the door Severus said,

"By the way, I'm glad I could be of service to you," his voice sounded bitter and angry like she remembered it at school. "I just love been the one that married women use to let out their sexual frustration."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly and left.

She walked down the stairs and was met on the way by Sirius Black who was smiling at her, revealing a row of perfect white teeth. He looked too cheerful especially after all the alcohol he'd consumed at the party.

"Morning gorgeous, good night?" He asked but Hermione just stormed past him, not saying a word. "That good huh?" He said to her retreating form.

Severus came down the stairs a moment later and Sirius' suspicions were confirmed.

"So how was she then?" He asked knowing he was well out of order to ask this question.

"Sod off Black," Severus snapped and walked off. Sirius left it at that, Severus hadn't called him that that for years, at least not in that tone. Severus remembered something else he wanted to say. "The next time you feel the need to interfere in my life, just don't."

Hermione took the port key home, relieved that it hadn't expired. She landed in the alley by her house and walked the few metres, feeling queasy because of her hangover. She let herself in and was greeted in the hallway by a very annoyed Greg.

"Nice of you to come home," he said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Please don't I feel awful," she said padding into the kitchen to get some hangover relief.

"Good, I'm glad. You were very foolish drinking too much. Is that what's going to happen every time you meet up with these people?" Greg asked following her into the pine kitchen.

"It was a party, drinking was to be expected," Hermione mumbled as she poured out the hangover relief potion.

"I don't like it when you behave like that."

"Greg I don't get drunk very often, you think you could forgive me this once." She walked over to the kitchen table and sat down stirring the potion with a silver teaspoon.

"You won't do that again." This was not a question.

"You can't control me," Hermione said getting annoyed at Greg.

"Well I wouldn't have to if you could control yourself." The memories from the night before came back to her and she felt sick with the guilt. 

But the thing she felt the most guilty about was the fact that it had been wonderful. Severus had been a fabulous lover, and he had made her feel so good, so alive that she felt unable to regret it. She desperately wanted to feel that way with Greg, but it never happened.

Greg left for work an hour later and he still hadn't made up with Hermione. He kissed her cheek purely out of habit, but it had been and short kiss that had hardly touched her. He had run out of the house without even saying goodbye. 

She showered washing away any evidence of the night of passion, and she was surprised to feel how sad she was about this. The memory of the pleasure she'd felt was still fresh and she found that her body craved even more. 

Today she was working at the Ministry's special Auror training college, doing a lecture about how to cope when you're in enemy territory. 

'Great,' she thought sarcastically. ' Just what I need when I've got a hangover, to talk to a room full of students who are only there to catch up on their sleep.

She left her house and apparated to the college.

It was a modern building unlike every other magical establishment that she had been in. Most buildings that specialised in teacher magic were ancient, archaic buildings like Hogwarts. It was small because it specialised only in Auror training and there were very few students. It was however very expensive to go to this college and so, naturally they were paying her a hell of a lot of money to lecture there.

The lecture went well. The students stayed quiet, whether they listened or not was another matter. There were no questions at the end, this could signify that she had got across all the information or they were desperate to get away. She sighed to herself thinking that is was probably the latter and dismissed them, putting them out of their misery. She was packing her things away when she saw a familiar man, one she was very happy to see.

"Professor Dumbledore," she said beaming at her old headmaster who was also smiling broadly. He didn't look a day older than when she had left school and she vowed to one day ask what his secret was. He was wearing his purple robes that swished across the floor, making a whispering noise. Everything about this man was calm. 

"Mrs Layton, I heard your lecture, very interesting," he said his voice calm and serene.

"Oh, well thank you, but I don't think the students enjoyed it much." 

"Some where listening, the ones that don't listen are usually the ones that drop out anyway so don't worry about it," Dumbledore said kindly making her feel much better. "I have come to find you for a reason. I realised that we don't really let our students know what options they have when they leave school. I have arranged for representatives from universities to tell the students about it, I hoped you would come to represent the Auror training programme."

"Erm, yes I'd be delighted," Hermione said.

"I will pay of course," Dumbledore continued but Hermione would hear of it.

"No, I'd like to do it, I won't charge you."

"Well that's very kind of you, Mrs Layton. It's on the 15th of this month, will that be all right for you?" Hermione nodded.

"That's great, I'll see you then." With that agreed Dumbledore left and Hermione set off for home.

She got home in a considerably better mood than she had been in earlier, and was pleased to see that Greg was home. She was desperate to tell him about Dumbledore's offer.

  
"Greg, you'll never guess what happened today," she said throwing her stuff down and plonking herself onto the cream sofa. Greg tutted and picked her stuff up.

"What happened?" He asked as he put her bag into the cupboard under the stairs, where they always kept their things.

"Dumbledore, my old headmaster at school, asked me to go and give a talk to all the students thinking about going into Auror training, isn't that great?" She said excitedly kneeling up on the sofa. Greg frowned at her treatment of the furniture.

"Take your shoes off," he said and she obediently complied but tutted to show her annoyance. "How much is he paying you?" Greg asked sitting on the matching chair.

"Oh I couldn't have charged him, not after all that school has given me," Hermione said and Greg's face dropped.

"You're not being paid?" He said disapproval written all over his face.

"No, I'm doing it as a favour," Hermione said horrified that Greg would even think she would accept money from Dumbledore.

"So you're taking a day off work to do someone a favour?" Greg spat looking almost disgusted.

"I wasn't booked for that day, I've lost no profit," Hermione said feeling decidedly less cheerful than when she had come in. 

"But you could have been, I think it was very foolish of you. What's for dinner?"

"I don't know, I've only just got in," Hermione said sitting back on the sofa closing her eyes, feeling tired from work and the partying.

"Honestly," he huffed, standing up. "Do I have to do everything?" He stomped into the kitchen slamming cupboard doors and kitchen utensils. Hermione sighed; he obviously had not forgiven her. She shuddered to think how he'd treat her if he knew exactly what she had got up to.

Later that night when they were in bed Hermione looked over to Greg. He was sleeping with his back to her, which was never a good sign in any relationship. She felt guilty but no less angry with her husband for his attitude towards her and her friends. He didn't have an early meeting this morning, he just left the party because he didn't like her friends, she didn't know why.

"I want our children to go to a private, normal school," Greg had said to her, normal meaning Muggle.

'Fat chance,' Hermione had thought acidly, 'children certainly don't get made by sleeping with your back to your wife.'

That was when a horrible thought struck Hermione. Because of her sexual inactivity she had not been on any sort of contraceptive, and after what happened last night…

Panic swept through her making her feel nauseous. How would she explain to Greg that she was having a baby, especially one that would be born with black hair and black eyes?

She didn't get any sleep that night, she knew it was ridiculous getting all worked up over it. She'd just go into Diagon Ally, buy a contraceptive potion and then the problem would be solved. The thing was that she didn't really want to get rid of the baby, if there was one. She had wanted her and Greg to have a baby, but it had never happened, probably never would. She wasn't obsessive about having children but she had always thought the prospect of creating a life with someone you love exciting.

The next morning she made her way into the heart of London and into Diagon Alley. She weaved through the sea of people; all dressed in long flowing robes that were more often than not brightly coloured and exquisitely detailed.

She entered a shop and a small bell rang as the door opened. A small thin woman with thick purple rimmed glasses and messy grey hair came scuttling out from behind the counter.

"May I help you dear?" She asked holding out a long thin hand to Hermione.

"Yes, I'm looking for a contraceptive potion," Hermione said a bit embarrassed.

"Then you've come to the right place," the old woman said and stalked off towards a shelf full of bottles. "This one," she said holding a bottle with a thick orange liquid inside, "is a long term potion, if you're in a relationship."

"That's no good, I need one you use after, erm, you know?" Hermione blushed feeling uncomfortable under the old woman's scrutiny.

"I quite understand dear," she said patting her on the arm reassuringly. She picked up a bottle with a watery, inky blue content. "Take 30ml of that and you should be fine. That's fifty sickles."

She stepped outside and into the street, blinking until her eyes became accustomed to the sunlight. She thought about going home but she wanted to look around Diagon Alley, it had been so long since she had been shopping here.

She was walking around, looking into the shop windows as she passed, remembering the excitement and wonder she had felt when she had first saw this place as a child. She stopped in the window of the Quidditch supplies store, thinking about Harry and Ron, who would just stare at the latest broomstick for ages. Ginny and her would huff at them and pull on their sleeves until the two boys tore them away from the shop window.

She turned away from the shop and started walking; still looking back at Harry Potter poster that was advertising the Firebolt 260. Not looking where she was going she slammed into someone and dropped her bag.

"Oh sorry," she said feeling the shock of being dragged out of her thoughts. The man said nothing but bent to pick her bag up. It was then that Hermione realised who she had bumped into. "Severus." He was dressed in his usual black and was wearing a pair of black sunglasses.

"Mrs Layton," he said his tone sounding far too formal for her liking. "Maybe you should look where you are going," he said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," she said to him as he was about to walk away.

"Quite all right," he said in a very unconvincing way, "no damage done."

"I'm not talking about bumping into you," she said trying to stop him walking away. He turned to look at her, his eyebrow raised above the rim of his glasses.

"Indeed?" He said.

"I want to apologise for the other night," she said blushing, embarrassed to be speaking about her private life in such a public place. "I think I owe you an explanation, can I buy you some coffee?" Severus pretended to think about this for a moment, but he knew he would say yes, of course he would. However angry he was at her he still felt something for her.

"All right," he agreed trying to look and sound reluctant.

They went to Florean Fortesque's to get a drink. Apart from ice cream, they sold iced coffee that was creamy and cooling, a God send in this hot weather they were experiencing.

Once they had ordered Hermione began to apologise.

"As I've said, I'm very sorry about what happened. It wasn't fair of me to do that to you," she said after taking a deep breath. "I had a fight with Greg before we went to the party, and I was annoyed and I'd had too much to drink."

"It's not doing my ego any good you know," Severus cut in. She looked at him in surprise.

"Sorry?" 

"You giving me all these reasons, excuses, saying how drunk you were. I'd like to think it was my animal magnetism that attracted you," he said dryly. Hermione didn't know what to say to that. It was only when she saw the corners of his mouth turning up slightly that she realised he was joking.

"You bastard," she said laughing nervously. He looked at her in mock horror.

"That's not a nice way to apologise," he said joining in with her laughter. 

"I've never heard you laugh," Hermione stated. He looked away from her and began nervously playing with the napkin in front of him.

"Well, you wouldn't have done. Apart from the other night, you'd only seen me before and during the war years, I didn't have much to laugh at then." Hermione had never really heard anyone talk about the war, Greg avoided the issue as much as possible.

"I don't think any of us did much laughing then, we tried to keep our spirits up but we all felt down," Hermione said.

"Yeah Dumbledore tried with his awful parties that just ended up embarrassing, do you remember the fancy dress party in your sixth year?" Hermione laughed at the memory, but was also cringing with embarrassment.

  
"Oh don't, that was awful. Harry made me go as a clown, said I looked good, lying little sod," she said. "I didn't look good at all, I looked like a…"

"Clown," he cut in.

"Exactly, you got away with it a little bit."

"Yeah, they couldn't make me dress up but Dumbledore managed to charm my hair so it went purple." He scowled at the thought and didn't notice how Hermione shivered. "That damn charm didn't wear of for twenty four hours."

"I thought it looked pretty cool," Hermione commented.

"But it's hard to maintain the image of a humourless bastard when you have purple hair."

"Point taken." They sat in silence for a couple of minute while they drank their coffee. It was a comfortable silence, both quite happy to sit and watch the people that went past.

"So," Severus said after a few minutes, "what are you shopping for?" 

"Erm, nothing much, just browsing," she lied not wanting to tell him what she really came for. "And yourself?"

"I was supposed to be meeting Sirius and Remus but they didn't show up. I was going to the Quidditch supplies shop, before you ran into me, for my little cousin, he's eleven, he starts Hogwarts next September."

"Big Quidditch fan?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, and he thinks it's 'wicked,'" he mocked in a childish voice, "that I know Harry Potter. _The _Harry Potter." He scowled again and Hermione covered up her second shiver with a laugh.

"Bet that really pisses you off," she said and he nodded in agreement. 

They talked for another ten minutes before Severus looked at his watch and realised he had to go. He didn't really want to leave; he was enjoying her company. 

"By the way," he said turning back to her. "I hear you're coming to Hogwarts next week."

"Yes, doing a talk on Auror training for the seventh years," she said.

"I'll see you there then," he said pleased that he would have another chance to see her.

"Yes, see you there." Hermione herself was glad that she had an excuse to go and see him. She really had enjoyed his company and it felt good to actually talk to someone other than Greg. She had not seen many people since she got married.

Two people sitting at a table behind Severus and Hermione came out from under and invisibility cloak as the couple went their separate ways. It was Sirius and Remus.

"That went well, he was laughing," Remus said.

"Must be love," Sirius added and Remus nodded in agreement.

"What next?" Remus asked his friend.

"We'll see how they get on, on their own first," Sirius said and the two stood to leave.

Hermione kept thinking about Severus as she carried on looking around the shops. He was good company because he was intelligent and witty when he wasn't being sarcastic. He was well read and had done an extraordinary amount of travelling. He spoke about Italy with great passion as his mother's family came from there and had spent a lot of his childhood visiting that family.

At the back of her mind though, lurked the memory of the party and what they had shared. She felt awful that she couldn't just put it behind her, feeling ashamed that she had not been able to forget it when he clearly had.

She was wrong though, he had not forgotten, wasn't likely to either. All the time he spent with her in the ice cream parlour his thoughts kept going back to that night. He had always thought she was beautiful and now he knew exactly how beautiful he couldn't let go to the image of her. Last night his sleep had been plagued with dreams of her and by the morning he was aroused but extremely frustrated. He had thought about calling Angela, but for some reason he felt it would be like cheating on Hermione.

Hermione got home and was relieved that Greg wasn't in. This meant that she could take the potion and he'd never need to know, he would certainly be suspicious if she started taking contraceptive potions.

She made her way to the old castle that had been her second home for seven years. As she stood outside the main gates she looked at the school, seeing the Gryffindor tower and the window of her old room, the one she had been given when she was made Head Girl. She sighed as she thought about the fun times she had there, dangerous times but fun none the less. 

" 'Ermione," came a gruff voice from behind her. She turned around and saw Hagrid standing there carrying a bag that appeared to be moving. She decided it would be better not to ask about the bag's contents.

"Hello, Hagrid," she said with an affectionate smile on her face.

"Dumbledore told me you was going to be 'ere. So how have yeh bin?" He said as he walked with her towards the school.

"Fine thanks," she replied trying to keep up with his massive strides.

"And 'ow's what's 'is name?" 

"Greg, he's, er, he's fine." 

"Got a letter from Harry yesterday, told me you was well. Goin' to see the game next week?" Hagrid asked referring to Harry's match against Puddlemere United.

"Yeah I might go if I'm not working." 

They continued talking until they reached the huge doors where Dumbledore greeted Hermione.

"Mrs Layton, glad you could make it," Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling over his half moon glasses.

"Please call me Hermione," she said and Dumbledore agreed telling her to call him Albus.

The headmaster led her to a classroom where she could set up her things and then left her to get on with it.

Soon the pupils started filing in and her talk began. They reminded her so much of her and her friends, most of them listened politely and there were even a few questions at the end. 

Outside the classroom two boys were talking. One was tall and thin with blonde hair and tanned skin, his friend was shorter and broader and had a pale complexion. Both were wearing crimson and gold ties.

"Quite good that, might go into the Auror training myself," said the taller boy. 

"Yeah, was all right. That woman was fit as well."

"Oh you're not wrong there. You see when she turned around? That is a nice arse."

"Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Came a silky drawl from behind them and they spun round in shock. Professor Snape was standing there, arms folded over his chest, his face neutral.

"Sorry Professor we were just, er, going to, er," the taller boy stuttered.

Hermione heard this from inside the class and decided to go out and see what was going on.

"Five points from Gryffindor for not answering straight away," he snapped but still making his voice sound silky and wonderful. But boys just didn't appreciate this voice.

"We were going to Transfiguration," the shorter boy said sounding more confident than his friend did.

"Then go and another five points for not walking faster to your lesson." The two boys went flying down the corridor, desperate to get away. "And don't run!" He shouted after them watching them until the slowed down.

"Hi," Hermione said and Severus turned around. "Now I see what you mean about being different at work."

"Hermione," he said trying hard not to look happy about her appearance, he didn't want to ruin his reputation. "Erm, we can't talk here, someone might hear and realise that I'm human." Hermione laughed this. "Come to my room."


	4. Chapter Four

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming please.

"Well, erm," Hermione stuttered surprised by these words, obviously reading something into his request. 

"No, sorry that sounded wrong," he said as he realised how his words had sounded. "I meant, to talk, it's the only place that the students can't get into, you understand, I can't be seen to be nice." Hermione laughed at this. He actually liked his horrible reputation as a cruel, unfeeling bastard.

'See Hermione, you're not so irresistible,' she thought to herself.

"Okay," she said out loud smiling up at him.

He led her to his room that was down in the dungeons not too far from the Slytherin common room, she assumed that Professor McGonagall's room had been near Gryffindor. She walked into the large room and saw it was just as she had imagined it. It was decorated in dark colours and the furniture was expensive. There was a chair and a sofa that were covered in some sort of silky material that felt wonderful. In the background though there was a large four poster bed with dark green hangings and matching bed covers. Hermione's attention kept getting drawn back to this item of furniture.

"So," Severus said as he sat down on the chair opposite her. "How did your lecture go? I heard two Gryffindor boys singing your praises." He asked thinking that it would perhaps be better not to mention their comment about her arse.

"Really, well I'm glad I got a few people interested, a lot don't listen," she said feeling a sense of triumph that she had got through to some of the students.

"Frustrating isn't it," he said, "talking to a room full of people who aren't listening and are only there because they have to be." He understood, of course he did, Harry and Ron never listened in his lessons.

"Yeah, sometimes I feel like Professor Binns, like I'm talking to a room full of people who are all fast asleep," she said and he laughed. She loved that sound, it was so rare but that's what made it special, as though it was reserved for a select few. And she was one of them.

"You're not like Binns, you're far more interesting." She blushed at his compliment and looked up at him. Their eyes met and they looked at each other intently for what must have been seconds but felt like eternity. 

She dragged her eyes away and was about to stand up to leave when Severus spoke. He saw that she was about to leave, but he desperately wanted her to stay.

"Drink?" He offered. "I have tea and coffee." She made a split second decision to stay. It was a decision of instinct, if she'd been using her head she might not have stayed.

"Okay, coffee please," she said. He got up to make it heating the water up in a second with his wand. Hermione looked around and saw a bookshelf that was packed full of books, all of which appeared to be read. "You like reading?" She asked.

'No the books are there for decoration,' he thought sarcastically but bit that comment back. 

"Yes, that's what happens when you're an only child," he said carrying their coffee over handing it to Hermione.

"I'm an only child too, I suppose that's why I read so much, I never really thought about it," Hermione said blowing on the coffee to cool it. 

She dipped her finger into the drink lightly as she carried on reading the book titles. She ran the finger around the rim of the cup, so she wouldn't leave a lipstick mark on the probably expensive cup. She didn't realise how seductive the action was, and was unaware that her host was desperately trying to keep his thought clean, and shifting uncomfortably in the chair. She took a sip of her coffee and swallowed slowly; still unaware of how her behaviour was affecting Severus. Her tongue came out to clean the coffee of her bottom lip and Severus decided that enough was enough.

"Hermione," he said sitting next to her on the sofa, removing the cup from her hands and placing it on the table beside the chair. "Hermione, I realise that you are married, and that you feel that what happened at the party was a huge mistake but I am having a big problem with just seeing you as a friend." Hermione gasped at his confession, but she had to admit that it felt good, to know he found her so attractive. 

His face was moving closer to hers and she knew what he was about to do. She knew that she should get out, stop him doing it but she couldn't, she wanted to stay, wanted him to kiss her.

She closed her eyes and her lips parted on their own accord, inviting him to kiss her. Her chest felt tighter, causing her to take shallower breaths, making her breathing sound laboured. A pleasant sensation was starting in her groin, and it was this sensation that kept her rooted to the spot.

His lips finally met hers and she felt a jolt of electricity go through her, turning that pleasant sensation into an ache, a desire to feel him touching her there. He brought his hand down to rest on her hip as he shifted on the sofa to get closer to her. She had missed the feeling of his warm hands on her body and this made her respond to the kiss. She pushed into him and parted her lips, hoping he would take the hint. He did, he sucked on her bottom lip for a while before he let his tongue wander into her mouth, languidly exploring.

He pushed her slightly and she slowly lay back until she was pressed against the silky material of the sofa. This was when the kiss became more heated, she put her arms around his neck and their tongues met. She felt light-headed, dizzy as if she was weightless, floating. The sensations were wonderful; she had never felt this way about a simple kiss, she didn't want it to end. 

He pulled away slightly but that wasn't the end, those wonderfully soft lips of his worked their way down the column of her throat, hitting sensitive spot after sensitive spot, making her moan and writhe underneath him. He himself moaned at the heavenly feeling of her skin against his lips and her body beneath his.

She was about to let go of herself, give her body over to this man, knowing that he cold give her the pleasure that she wanted, craved, but she got an attack of conscience. Greg loved her, he had said so before, he'd chosen to spend the rest of his life with her and what did she do? Jump into someone else's bed the moment they had an argument. 

"No," she said pushing herself up bringing both of them into a sitting position. He groaned but did not say anything. "I'm sorry, I can't do this. Greg, he loves me I can't do this to him. I'm sorry." With that she bolted out of the door as fast as she could, leaving Severus sitting on the sofa, still dazed after her abrupt departure.

Saying her goodbyes to Albus and the rest of the staff, who had drifted into her classroom to say hello earlier that day, she left the school and set off for home.

Her mind was reeling. She kept reliving those few moments over and over again. How could she have been so stupid? She should never have gone to his room with him; it was a stupid thing to do. At the party her excuse had been that she was drunk, but she had been completely sober this time, there was no excuse.

She got home to find a very angry Greg sitting on the bottom step of the stairs. 

"Greg, what are you doing sitting there?" She asked and he stood up.

"Where have you been?" He asked his voice sounded quite menacing and it scared Hermione.

"I've been at my old school," she said taking off her coat. "I told you that."

"You were supposed to be back at one o'clock, it's now ten past three," he said through gritted teeth.

  
"Sorry I was talking to some of my old teachers, doing some catching up. Why what's wrong?" She asked worried about his behaviour.

"I was going to take you out," he said.

"Oh I didn't know, you didn't tell me about it."

"It was supposed to be a surprise, but you've ruined it now. All because of your friends at that school," he wrinkled his nose at the thought of her teachers and Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry Greg we can still go out," she said but he shook his head and waved his hand as if dismissing her.

"It's too late now. I have a Ministry function to go to." He walked away and Hermione followed him.

"Okay I'll get changed and we'll go. Just give me five minutes."

"You're not coming," he said putting on his coat.

"What?" She asked incredulously. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you to be there, it's embarrassing," he said and she gasped.

"I embarrass you?" She exclaimed folding her arms over her chest.

"Yes, I'm afraid that you'll say something about all this magic…"

"I'd never do that, we're not allowed to tell Muggles."

"See, you use words like that. You make me feel like something abnormal," he said as he opened the front door to leave.

"Greg you're not abnormal, we just come form different cultures." He wasn't listening anymore.

"I get back at five, it would be best if you weren't here."

"Are you kicking me out?" She asked feeling tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"No, I just need some time. I think you need some time to think as well." With that said he left the house, not even kissing her this time.

Hermione didn't know where to go. She tried Harry's London flat but he wasn't there, then she tried Ron but it was the same with him. The only other place was Draco and Claire's house in Hogsmead.

She apparated there and noticed a figure standing in their doorway. Severus. He looked up and saw Hermione standing there.

"It would appear they're not in," he said walking towards her. "Probably gone out with Harry and Ron.

"Yes, they're out too." He noticed that her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"What's the matter," he asked his voice full of concern.

"Oh, nothing. Greg and I had a fight and he stormed out, I guess I needed someone to talk too," the tears kept on falling and she dabbed at her eyes to try and dry them.

"Oh, well if you want to talk I'm here," he said kindly. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," she said.

"Look, we can go to dinner, a crowded restaurant, would that be okay?" She laughed and nodded her agreement.

They chose a French restaurant not far from Draco's house. It looked very expensive and posh and Hermione felt it was time to tell him that she hadn't any money on her.

"You think I was going to let you pay for dinner? What do you take me for?" 

A tall thin man dressed in a smart black suit, with his dark brown hair slicked back with gel showed them to a table.

"I love the food here," Severus said. "I used to come here a lot but I haven't recently."

"I heard that you had a girlfriend, did you not bring her?" He smiled and laughed softly.

"No, she wasn't interested in having dinner with me, if you know what I mean." Hermione blushed. Yes she understood. "Not that I minded, it was good for me after the hell I've been through but I needed a lot more in the long run. Someone I could actually talk to, someone who actually cared that I have a brain."

"I think intelligence is important," Hermione said. 

"I'm sure your husband feels quite intimidated by your intelligence." 

"He's intelligent too," Hermione said defending her husband.

"Well good, I can't imagine you with someone who wasn't," he said as the wine that they had ordered arrived.

"So," Hermione said wanting to change the subject, "how is school?" He sneered a bit as he poured her some of the deep red wine. 

"Fine, some good students, some bad. The same as every year really."

"Any Neville Longbottom's?" She asked grinning. He laughed and sipped his wine.

"Yes, every year has it's own Neville Longbottom," he said.

"And are you as horrible to them as you were to him?"

"Oh yes, of course. I don't believe in pandering to them, they need to learn that not everyone will be understanding."

"Yes but did you have to be so horrible, after a while you just stopped trying to teach him." Hermione was angry at the memories of how Severus used to treat her friend.

"Yes but I did help him," Severus said giving her a smug smile.

"No you didn't," she protested. "He had to have extra lessons of that Italian…" She trailed off as the truth dawned on her. "The Italian woman, Imelda. She's a relation of yours isn't she." He nodded.

"Yes, very goo Hermione, she works for my father's company. I realised that I wasn't getting through to him and thought the job called for a female tutor. I asked Dumbledore and he agreed to pay her for her trouble."

"Well, now I feel stupid. So you're really a nice guy then?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow at her and thought about her question for a moment.

"No, not always. You mustn't forget my past."

"I hadn't forgotten. It's hard to think of you as one of those people, even when we all hated you we couldn't believe you'd be capable of the things they did," Hermione said shivering at the thought of all the stories she'd been told.

"What sort of things?" He asked.

"Well, we were told about parties where people were raped and tortured," Hermione said not really wanting him to confess to being a part of this. She was surprised to hear a snort of laughter.

"My dear you have heard too many propaganda stories. Those things didn't happen, at least not at any of the parties I went to. People were killed but only because they stood in the way, they were stopping Voldemort and his followers achieve their goal. Any raping that went on was the sickness of certain individuals and it would have done it anyway, with or without Voldemort, Lucius malfoy for example was just a twisted psychopath."

"So why would people say they were like that?" Hermione asked.

"So that everyone would hate them, to prevent any further support. No some of the Death Eaters were murderers for the cause and some were just ordinary people who funded Voldemort."

They stayed silent while their food was brought to the table, not wanting anyone to hear this private conversation. Once the waiter had left Hermione asked the question that had been bothering her since they started this conversation.

"Did you ever kill anyone?" She asked fearing the answer. He smiled.

  
"Funnily enough I hadn't killed anyone until I joined the light," he said with an ironic laugh. "I worked in research. I tried to work out ways to make the Death Eaters stronger and fitter."

"Oh, well why did you leave?" She asked enjoying the taste of the lemon chicken she had ordered.

"That's a silly question. I left for the same reason that you never joined, because it was wrong, and I saw that, eventually," he said tucking into his meal as well. 

"Why did you join in the first place?"

"Because I was angry with the world and Voldemort seemed to offer me what I wanted. It was all lies of course and I saw that eventually but I was taken in at first. At first I even supported the killings that went on." 

"So," he said after a while. "Do you want to tell me what happened at home?" He asked. 

"Oh, it was just an argument, you know how it is. I said something that he didn't like and then he said something back and stormed out."

  
"You were very upset," he said as if he didn't quite believe her story. "Are you sure that everything's okay?"

"I'm fine, we just had an argument, all married couples have them."

"I wouldn't know about that one. I've never been married." He said this with a certain sadness which made Hermione think that maybe he was regretting never getting married.

"Greg wanted to take me out, I was late home and then there was no time for us to go out."

"Why?"

"Because he had to go to a party, for the Ministry," she said.

"Why are you not with him?" Severus asked taking a swig of his drink.

"Erm, he didn't want me to go," she said not hiding how much this had upset her. "He was angry." She tried to defend him.

"He's a fool," Severus said. "I'd want you to be with me at a party."

"Would you?" She asked looking up at him, tears starting in her eyes again.

"Yes," he replied putting his hand over hers. "I don't think I need to hide how I feel about you anymore. How I've felt about you for a long time." She pulled her hand out from underneath his.

"You're right, this is good food," she said changing the subject. He sighed annoyed at her response.

"Hermione you're avoiding the subject," he said.

"I know, it's because I can't let you carry on with what you were saying," she said her eyes not meeting his. "I am married."

"To a man that doesn't want to be seen with you. Who leaves a party five minutes in?"

"He had an early meeting!" She said.

"Well done Hermione, you almost believed that yourself," he said.

"I love my husband," she stated but he was right, she was also trying to convince herself about that.

"Even after all that? Even when he makes you cry like this?" He said watching tear after tear roll down her face. She stood up.

"I seem to remember you making me cry a few times," she said and stormed out of the restaurant. Throwing down enough money for their meal Severus ran after her.

"Hermione!" He called after her running to catch her up. He was faster than she was so he managed it in no time. "Hermione please, I'm sorry."

"Please leave me alone," she said walking away from him but he stood in front of her. "Look I should never have gone to dinner with you. I can't see you again."

"Why, I know you feel the same way I do, why can't you see me again?" He asked.

  
"Because of Greg," she said tears flowing heavily now.

"What about Greg?" He asked. She went to say something else but she was cut off as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Against her volition she wrapped her arms around his neck pressing herself to him, returning the kiss. He broke away and rested his forehead on hers. "Does Greg make you feel like that?" He asked.

She screwed her eyes shut not wanting to look into his eyes, knowing she would be lost if she did. He didn't, she had never felt like this with Greg, but she could do once they had sorted their marital problems out. 

"Greg is my husband and he loves me. I love him and despite any feelings I have for you I am already married to Greg." Her words were like a knife going through him, more pain full than any curse that he had had the misfortune to be under.

She pushed him away and he felt as though some part of him had been ripped away. Hermione was vaguely aware that she was crying. For some reason this hurt more than her arguments with Greg.

"Then you are right, we have nothing more to say to each other," Severus said, his voice no longer sounding powerful.

He walked away and Hermione felt like her heart had sunk to her stomach, and that her stomach had been ripped out. Her chest felt heavy and her throat hurt from crying.

"We can still be friends though, right?" She shouted after him. He stopped but did not turn around. 

"I don't think that would be a good idea," he said and walked off out of sight.

Hermione didn't think anything could hurt this much. She felt so guilty that she was actually thinking about going with Severus, leaving Greg and running off with another man. But then she thought about Greg's feelings, how hurt he would be if he knew she had betrayed him. She had to make it up to him. She would do whatever it took.

When Severus got home the hurt he felt had transformed into anger, overwhelming anger. He slammed the door to his room shut and the noise reverberated down the hallway. He picked up a glass that was on his drinks table and hurled it across the room. It smashed with a tinkling noise on the stone wall and fell to the floor. Many other glasses followed this one and soon there were shards of glass everywhere.

He walked into his bathroom looking for something else to break. He stood in front of the small cabinet mirror and looked into it for a few minutes. Then he brought his arm back, made a fist and punched the glass, watching it crack, then shatter. The shards had cut into his hand but it took his mind off the sheer agony he felt in his chest.

He walked out of the bathroom and spotted a full, unopened bottle of whisky on top of his drinks cabinet. That would work as an effective anaesthetic, for now.

When Hermione got home Greg walked into the hall to greet her. She hadn't even taken her coat off when she launched into the speech that she had been rehearsing all the way home.

"Greg I'm so sorry about not coming home when I should have, and I'm very sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable by calling you a Muggle, I never meant it to have that affect. Please forgive me." She looked at him with pleading eyes, holding her breath for an answer.

"All right," he said after a while. "I will over look it this time…" He went to say more but Hermione threw herself at him, holding him so tight that he couldn't breathe properly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said over and over again before she pulled his face down to kiss him.

He responded to the kiss, to her delight, and she wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck. When she pulled away they were both breathless.

"Shall we go to bed?" She asked suggestively and he nodded, following her up the stairs.

Later that night Hermione was lying bed trying not to look disappointed. She looked over at Greg, who had his back turned to her again.

"It's okay you know I understand," she said reaching out to him in the dark.

"Do you?" He asked bitterly.

"Yes, this happens to a lot of people. You could go and see your doctor," she suggested.

"Yes, maybe," he replied. "I'll think about it." This was good enough for her, at least he was willing to work for this marriage. 

She rolled over and went to sleep. She may be able to control her behaviour but her subconscious was not something she command and she felt herself dreaming about making love to a man who loved her. Unfortunately that man was not Greg Layton. 


	5. Chapter Five

Severus sat in his room the next day drinking a strong cup of coffee. He'd consumed a large amount of alcohol the previous night, and now he was sitting in a chair with a massive headache feeling sorry for himself.

He was angry with himself for feeling like this, he had never allowed himself to get like this over anybody and he didn't really want to break that habit. Yet he found that his thoughts consisted of nothing other than Hermione, however much he hated it. He wished he had never gone to that engagement party, then he'd never have met up with Hermione again and he would be saved this pain. He had endured quite a lot of pain during the war years but he would rather endure that than the agony he was feeling now, that was making his chest feel tight and heavy.

There came a whoosh from the fireplace and Albus Dumbledore landed on the rug in front of the fire with a graceful thud.

"Morning Severus," he said far too cheerfully for Severus' liking. "Oh dear, not a good morning I take it." He saw the pile of broken drinking glasses by the wall.

"No, it's not a bloody good morning," he growled feeling a shooting pain go through his head. He winced and Albus laughed going across the room to pour his friend some more coffee.

"Do you feel like telling me what the problem is?" He asked handing him the cup.

"You're not going to go away even if I say no are you?" Severus asked and Albus shook his head.

"What could possibly be so bad that you feel the need to drink Hagrid's weight in alcohol?" The old man asked looking at the empty liquor bottles.

"How does being in love with a married woman sound?" Severus said icily.

"Familiar," Albus said simply and Severus looked at him in surprise. "Yes, I myself have been in your situation. May I ask the woman's name?"

"Hermione Layton," Severus said downing the black coffee feeling it burning his mouth but not caring, he was just glad to have some feeling back in it.

"That I was not expecting," Albus said raising an eyebrow at him. "I wouldn't have thought she was your type."

  
"What intelligent and beautiful? No whose type would she be," he said sarcastically in reply.

"All right no need to get sarcastic on me. How does she feel about you?" Severus shrugged his shoulders.

  
"Well she doesn't hate me anymore. It's academic anyway; she won't leave her husband. She loves him," Severus said bitterly, scowling before taking another sip of coffee.

"I never did like him," the headmaster said wistfully.

"He's a dick head," the younger man spat out going to get himself some more coffee. "He doesn't deserve her," he said staring into space, "nobody does."

Dumbledore felt sorry for his young friend. He had avoided finding love all these years, knowing that he couldn't commit to someone while the war was going on, and now he has found love it has to be denied because the timing was not right. He was not an emotional person and now he's shown he has emotions he gets hurt, how ironic.

"Severus, I know it's hard but you have to get on with it. I have been where you are now and I can only say that you will get over it." The headmaster then left his friend hoping that he had heard his words and that he would try to get over this.

Hermione was sitting at home reading a magazine when she heard the front door open. She smiled at her husband as he walked into the living room and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hello love," she said and he sat down in the chair.

"Hello," he replied rubbing his eyes. Hermione looked at his tired eyes and stood up. She walked behind him and started to massage his shoulders.

"Hard day at work?" She asked kneading his shoulder muscles with her fingers.

"Yes, lots of paperwork," he said leaning forward as she worked lower.

"Did you see the doctor?" He stiffened and then stood up.

"Why do you keep going on about that?" He asked coldly looking out of the window, away from her.

"I'm sorry I just thought it was what you wanted. I didn't mean to upset you, I was only asking," she said, cursing herself for saying the wrong thing to him. It wasn't what he wanted to be reminded of after a hard day at work.

"Look, just get dinner on and we'll forget about this," Greg said. Hermione felt upset about his order to go and make dinner but she did it anyway, knowing she needed to make up for her insensitivity.

"Really?" Harry said to Dumbledore as he poured him a mug of tea. "He really said he loved her." The old man nodded. "Bloody hell."

"Yes, I'm telling you I've never seen him like this." Dumbledore sat down with his drink and Harry sat opposite not believing his ears. "I mean, you thought he was hard work when he showed _no_ emotion, it's nothing compared to how difficult he is now," Harry smiled at the headmaster's friendly jibe at his Potions Master. "It just goes to show what repressing emotions does to you. Eventually the flood gates open and you can't stop the emotions pouring out of you."

"Yes, I'll remember that the next time I stop myself from crying at E.T," Harry said sipping his hot tea.

"E.T?"

"It's a Muggle film, very sad," Harry said. "So Hermione's staying with Greg then?"

"Yes it appears so. What do you think of Mr Layton?" Dumbledore asked.

  
"Well, I never liked him much, Hermione hardly sees us these days and if she does Greg tells her off. And she goes back and apologises for seeing her friends, what's that all about?"

"I see, well maybe someone needs to bring to her attention how wrong this whole situation is," Dumbledore suggested.

"You're right," Harry agreed. "I will talk to her as soon as possible." 

There was about a minute's silence before Harry spoke.

"So how is everything at Hogwarts?" He asked.

"Well, Filch is threatening to resign after someone made Mrs Norris' fur pink with blue spots. I have a pretty good idea of who it was that did that." Harry snickered at the thought of a multi-coloured Mrs Norris. " And Hagrid has the flu, which isn't pretty I advise you stay as far away as possible."

"So things are pretty hectic then?" Harry asked with a cheeky smile.

"Well, I have a disgruntled caretaker, an unwell gamekeeper, and a love sick Potions Master. Things are pretty hectic yes." The old man did look pretty tired.

The two men laughed at this and soon moved on to another subject, but Hermione and Severus were always in the back of their minds.

A few days later Severus trudged into Dumbldore's office at the headmaster's request. He had a pretty good idea of what he was going to say, and if he was honest he really didn't want to hear it. But he would humour his old friend, go along pretend to listen like he use to do in History of Magic when he was a student.

"Ah, Severus please sit down." The headmaster beamed at the younger man and gestured towards the chair on the opposite side of the desk. When Severus had taken his seat the old man looked over his glasses at him. "I have to say," he said after a while, "that I am beginning to worry about you."

"I'm fine headmaster," Severus said folding his arms over his chest. This and his formal words suggested otherwise.

"Except when you're around the students you only call me headmaster when you're lying to me," Dumbledore said to him. Severus sniffed indignantly.

"I'm not lying, I've told you I'm fine," he said sternly wanting the man to leave him alone.

"Then why did you hex Mrs Norris?" Severus looked up at Dumbledore in surprise.

"How did you know that was me?" He asked narrowing his black eyes suspiciously.

"I know many things, so why did you do it?"

"She was in my lab, looking for students probably, and she spilt some very valuable substances." He sat back in the chair, sulking. 

"You wouldn't have usually done that, you'd have been angry but hexing an innocent cat?" Dumbledore tutted playfully at him but Severus was not in the mood for playful.

"Innocent cat?" He exclaimed. "Pull the other one Albus. You're lucky I hexed her actually." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Yes, I was going to hex Filch." Dumbledore laughed. "The man's a pervert, you do know that, don't you?"

"Now Severus, that is un-called for,"

"He told one of the girls in my house that he was going to chain her up, that's not right!" Severus protested but Dumbledore just shook his head, knowing that Filch was only trying to scare the young girl.

"You are avoiding the issue," he said. "I know you're feeling a lot of new emotions at the moment but you'll learn to deal with it."

"Don't tell me I'll learn to deal with it, I don't want to deal with it." He paused and sat there for a moment. "I want it to go away," he said in a quieter voice.

"I know my boy, but that's not how life is. I'm sorry." Dumbledore suddenly had a flashback of Severus as a child snivelling over some trick that James Potter and his friends had played on him. How Albus wished he'd listened to the young boy, it might have saved him a great deal of pain.

"I'm sorry about Mrs Norris," Severus said looking up at the headmaster not sounding very sorry. It sounded like a childish, empty apology but Dumbledore didn't care, he just wanted the old Severus back.

"Don't worry." He then began to laugh. "You know the students are going around saying that the person who hexed Mrs Norris is their hero." He stopped and laughed even more. "If only they knew it was you." Both men started laughing, and this pleased Dumbledore. He couldn't help Hermione with her problem that was up to Harry but he could help Severus.

"Harry!" Hermione said as she opened the door and found her best friend standing on the doorstep.

"Hi Hermione, can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure, um Greg will be back soon but we have a few minutes." Harry rolled his eyes and followed her into the house getting the feeling that her husband would not approve of his presence. "So you like the house?" She asked.

Harry looked around in horror. It was almost the spitting image of the Dursely's house, the same neat and tidy rooms and polished wood. Harry never imagined Hermione living somewhere this mundane.

"It's, er, great." He lied feeling that telling the truth would not be the best way to start this particular conversation.

"Do you want some tea?" She asked over her shoulder, walking into the kitchen.

"No I just came to talk to you," Harry replied following her further into the house.

"Oh, okay then." Harry took a deep breath working up the courage to do this to Hermione.

"Hermione, what I'm going to say might upset you but I'm saying it because I love you."

"I don't like the sound of this," Hermione said narrowing her eyes, getting defensive.

"Hermione," he started again, "Hermione I don't think Greg is right for you." There he'd said it, and she was looking angry. He braced himself for the fall out.

"What?" She exclaimed. "This is what you came to tell me, where did that come from?" 

"I'm sorry but it's what I think, it's what a lot of us think. Including Dumbledore." Harry knew as soon as he had said it that it was the wrong thing to say.

"You've been discussing me, with Dumbledore? Anybody else, Sirius, Remus, the Chudley Cannons team?"

"Don't be childish Hermione, we're just worried about you. We don't see you anymore."

"Look this is none of your business, just get out and leave me alone!" She gestured towards the door but Harry stayed put.

"No Hermione you will hear me out," he said defiantly and she crossed her arms and looked away making it look as if she wasn't listening, but she was, he knew she was. "Hermione," he started again, "we hardly ever see you, and you said yourself that Greg goes mad if you see us."

"So he wants to spend time with me, why is that a bad thing?"

"It's not, of course it's not, but he doesn't spend time with you does he? Ask yourself this, when was the last time you went out?" Harry said his voice raising. "What do you two do?"

"I really don't want to hear this Harry, please." He was immune to her pleas and tears this time; he wasn't going to let her ruin her life just because he was afraid she might get mad.

"I know you don't but you're going to hear it this time. Everybody thinks he's an asshole but because you plead with them and turn on the water works they don't talk about it. But I will, because I don't want to see you like this anymore. He's not right for you. We used to have such fun, you remember? We used to go out and have a laughs, he's boring and all he cares about is work."

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is! Look at this house Hermione!" He pointed around. "It looks like the Dursley's house, except it's tidier. I can't believe you live here, someone who said that Ron's house was the coolest house ever."

"I don't see what business that is of yours," Hermione said coldly turning her back on him.

"It's my business because you're my friend and I'm watching a man turn you into somebody else! You don't owl us, you don't see us! That's good turning your back on me like that, it really hurts, is that what Greg does to you?"

"You bastard!" She shouted turning around to slap him. It stung, but he had been expecting it. He instinctively touched his face where her hand had been. 

"See, he's turned you into someone else already!" 

"I'm still me!" She shouted not wanting Harry to be right, she wanted to believe that her husband loved her for who she was.

"No you're not, he represses you through emotional blackmail, he makes you feel guilty for seeing your friends and having a good time, and you just take it. What he's doing to you isn't right!"

"I know!" Hermione shouted finally admitting it to herself, feeling a weight being lifted off her shoulders.

Harry couldn't believe what he'd heard. She'd known all the time what Greg was doing and she'd just let him get on with it. He moved to Hermione and put his arms around her. She threw herself into his arms and sobbed into his chest/

"Then why are you still with him?" Harry asked his heart breaking for his poor confused friend.

"B…because I l…love him, that's why!" She said through sobs that were making her small body shake uncontrollably. 

"No you don't, not really. You love the familiarity, and you're too scared to give that up." The truth hit Hermione hard, her sobs became louder and more violent, making her throat and head ache almost as much as her heart was.

"B…but he l…loves me, I c…can't l…leave him, I c…can't d…do that to h…him," she choked out through the tirade of tears.

  
"I don't think he does love you Hermione, not in the way a husband should love," Harry said putting his hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture. "He doesn't love you as a person, like the wonderful person that you are. He loves the woman that outs up with his crap, and looks pretty on his arm at parties. Tell me the truth Hermione, do you two make love?" She shook her head.

"He…he said he was going to see the doctor about it." She had calmed down a bit now but the tears were still running down her face like miniature streams.

"I don't think he has a problem, I just don't think he's attracted to you like that," Harry said stroking her hair, comforting her.

"What should I do?" She asked as he began to rock her gently.

"Leave, get out while before you become so messed up that you'll never get out." Hermione shook her head. "Somebody confessed his love for you the other day." Hermione froze, knowing whom it was.

"Who?" She asked trying to pretend she didn't know but failing miserably. Harry saw through it.

"I think you know who," he stated simply and Hermione nodded. "Have you been having an affair with him?" Hermione shook her head.

"No, not really, we erm, we slept together once, at the party, but never again. I've seen him again but I told him that I loved Greg and he left… and…and… I haven't seen him since." She burst into tears all over again and Harry's hold on her tightened.

"Do you love him? Severus I mean." Hermione pushed herself out of Harry's embrace. She was rubbing her upper arms comforting herself. She walked to the window and looked out, not really seeing anything.

"I don't know, I never felt this way about Greg," she admitted to herself as well as Harry.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked her. She turned around, her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were stained from the salty tears. 

"I need to see Greg, now I'm going to his work," Hermione said after a few moments.

"I'll go with you," Harry said and Hermione agreed, feeling that she would need his support.

"Thanks, Harry."

They called for a taxi knowing that they would not be able to apparate to the Ministry of Defence. They were asked for identification before they could enter the building and luckily Harry and Hermione still had theirs from their old Auror days. 

They took the lift up to Greg's office. Getting off at the fifth floor Hermione walked up to the large pine desk, where a woman with dark brown hair, in her early twenties was sat talking on the telephone while writing something down. She saw Hermione coming and held up her hand to indicate she would be done in just a second.

"Right, that's great David, thanks, bye." The woman put down the receiver and smiled up at Hermione. "How can I help you?" She asked cheerfully.

"I'm here to see Mr Layton," Hermione said to the receptionist.

"May I ask who you are?" She asked picking up a pen.

"I'm his wife, can I see him please?"

"I'm sorry he's in a meeting at the moment, can I take a message?" The woman asked her voice far too cheerful; it was winding Hermione up.

"No, I need to see him now!" She gave up trying to talk to this woman and left in search for Greg's office. She found it and pushed the door open.

Greg was sitting a chair behind his desk and on his lap was a blonde woman, slightly older than Hermione. Greg was smiling but his face dropped when he saw Hermione standing in the doorway, with tears threatening to fall again.

"Hermione?" He said standing up so the woman slid off his lap.

"A meeting, is that what you're calling it these days?" Hermione asked telling herself that she wouldn't cry.

"Who is this?" The blonde woman asked looking at Hermione in disgust.

"I'm his wife!" Hermione shouted. A horrified look crossed the woman's face and she turned to Greg.

"You're married?" She asked and he looked at her pleadingly, she wasn't having any of it though. "You bastard Greg!" She shouted and slapped him hard across the face, her long false nails scratching him at the same time, leaving bloody lines along his cheekbone. She picked up her jacket and walked off.

"Candice don't be like that," he called after her. She turned around and looked at him.

"Why should I stay. You're boring and the sex was terrible," with that said Candice walked of and slammed the door behind her.

When she was gone Greg sat on his chair, put his elbows on the desk and rested his head on his hands.

"So you said that you couldn't have sex with me and all the time you were screwing another woman," Hermione said staying calm, despite her anger.

"Yes," Greg said, not caring what Hermione thought about him.

"She's right, you are a bastard. I put up with all that shit because I thought you loved me." Greg laughed and looked up at her.

"Did you?" He asked. "How could I love you. I mean you're a witch. You have strange friends that play sports on broomsticks and look after Dragons. You're weird, and I don't even think you're very pretty." His comments stung, she knew that maybe he didn't love her, but she had no idea that he felt like this. 

"Well, would you find me attractive if I bleached my hair, and had my brains surgically taken out and implanted in my breast to make them bigger?" Hermione said acidly. She had learned her vicious comments from the master and Greg was no match for him, in many ways. Before her eyes Greg had gone from being this mild mannered, boring man to being a hateful, horrible man. Not the man she married.

"I'd never find you attractive, you freak!" 


	6. Chapter Six

"You bastard, you complete bastard!" She shouted suddenly not caring about this man at all. At first he had been the man she loved, the man who loved her, she thought she knew him, but it turned out that in fact she didn't know him at all. "So our marriage has been a total lie?"

"I knew you loved me, knew from the beginning. You were young and I was flattered that you would be attracted to me," he said leaning back in his chair looking her up and down. "I wasn't attracted to you, in fact the whole of the Wizarding world made me feel rather sick, but I needed a wife. I needed a wife that would go to parties, who was intelligent enough to make conversation with my bosses so I would get the promotion I needed."

"And Candice? Do you feel anything for her? Our is she just one in a long line of mistresses?" Hermione asked, feeling anger rise within her. She'd never hated anyone this much, even Voldemort. He'd been someone who was a danger to everyone but she had nothing personal against him. With Greg it was personal.

"I love her, she's just my type, no intelligence, doesn't ask questions." He laughed. "I even managed to hide from her the fact that I was married." His laughter increased.

"I always wondered why you'd never make love to me," Hermione said, not believing how stupid she had been.

"Yes, I knew I could get away with it, you loved me so you would put up with it, and you're such a moral person that an affair would be out of the question." Greg had a smug expression on his face as if he had won. Hermione really wanted to tell him about her affair with Severus, but she realised that it would work to her advantage if she stayed quiet about that. 

"I don't know what you're looking so smug about," she said with a sneer. "I am going to sue you for divorce, on the grounds of adultery and mental cruelty."

"Mental cruelty?" He exclaimed standing up. "What are you talking about you mad bitch?"

"I'm talking about the way you stopped me seeing my friends, the way you used emotional blackmail to get what you wanted! You made me feel depressed and I have several people willing to verify that." This time she was the smug one, as she watched his face drop she felt triumphant.

"You bitch, you wouldn't do that!"

"Just watch me!" She said firmly. "Goodbye Greg, when you get home I'll have moved my stuff out, from then on we'll only talk through our solicitors." 

She walked off and pulled the door open sharply, Greg's secretary nearly fell through the doorway, as she had been listening at the door. Hermione glared at her and the woman walked away, fast, thinking that Hermione was not the best person to piss off at that moment. Hermione had a sudden thought and turned around to Greg.

"By the way, I want to give you a parting gift." She pulled her wand out of the pocket in her jacket and pointed it at Greg, so quickly he had no time to move. Aiming the wand low, at his crotch area she aimed a hex and a streak of electric blue shot out the end. Greg was hurled backwards and he hit the wall. He slid to the floor clutching at his sore crotch making pathetic whimpering noises. "You won't be using that for a while."

She walked out of the office feeling so much better. Greg's secretary was giving her a round of applause and shouting things like "you go girl!"

Once Hermione got down stairs she ran to Harry and collapsed in his arms in a fit of sobs.

"So all this time he'd been having an affair?" Sirius asked Harry while they were sitting in Harry's sitting room.

"Yes, can you believe it?" Harry replied.

"Poor, Hermione," Remus added. "I knew Greg was a shit but I didn't know he was like that."

"None of us did. Are they getting divorced?" Sirius asked.

"Of course they are, Hermione doesn't feel anything for him anymore. He's a completely different person to her now."

"Poor, Hermione," Remus repeated.

"Can you stop with the poor Hermione business?" Hermione said standing in the doorway. The three men turned around all looking guilty about having talked about her behind her back.

"You feeling better love?" Harry asked as she plonked herself down next to him on the floor.

"Yeah, I feel better knowing that it wasn't my fault that our marriage failed," She said.

"It's definitely his fault, he's an idiot," Remus said patting her on the shoulder. Hermione reached up and covered his hand with hers.

"Thank you Remus, thanks all of you, you've been great," she said smiling at her three friends. Funny all her friends were male, she'd never noticed that.

"I know what you need to cheer you up," Sirius said standing up as if he was about to announce something. "It's my birthday soon, and I'm having a party, you're all invited." Everybody groaned. "What?" Sirius asked.

"I'm still getting over the last one," Harry said rubbing his head to emphasise his point.

"I'm not really in the mood for a party," Hermione added.

"Boring the lot of you, well it'll be just you and me Moony." Sirius huffed and sat back down in his chair.

"It'll be quiet, but there'll be more alcohol for us," Remus said.

A few weeks later Hermione was sitting in a room talking to her lawyer. Her and Greg had had a Wizard wedding and a Muggle one, but as they got married in the Wizarding world first that was the one that mattered. Hermione found it easier to find a lawyer in this world than Greg had, but soon both were represented and the trial had begun. 

Greg hadn't stood a chance, what with all the evidence against him and Hermione having none other than Albus Dumbledore himself as a witness to Greg's mental cruelty.

"Now then Miss Granger," the tall thin lawyer said as he flipped through a folder. He was a greying man in his late fifties with thin pointy features. "It seems that your name was on the lease of the house so that is given to you in the settlement."

She loved being called Miss Granger again, the past few weeks she had been called Mrs Layton but she had grown to hate that name, just like she hated Greg.

"That's great but I'll be able to pay off the mortgage on my new house," Hermione said even though the lawyer wasn't interested. She had planned to but a house in Hogsmead not far from Harry.

"The contents of the house will have to be sorted between you and your ex-husband," her lawyer said in his silky drawl.

"My _ex_," she said putting emphasis on the ex, loving the sound, "husband can have the contents of the house, none of it was mine." 

"Well then it seems that everything is in order, Miss Granger. This was a very simple case, it was a good job there were no children, those cases can get very messy." A grin appeared in the man's face, as if he actually enjoyed the thought of a messy court case. Hermione had always thought he was a lot like Filch.

"Thank you for everything Mr Smithe, for everything." Hermione held out her hand and the thin man took it and gave her an oily smile. 

"My pleasure Miss Granger, I glad you are happy with the outcome of the case," he said and he showed her to the door.

Hermione left the lawyers firm and stepped out into Diagon Ally. She walked down the street, stopping to buy a beautiful purple dress that she saw in a shop window, feeling that she may go to Sirius' birthday party after all.

She was leaving the shop happier than she had ever been not looking where she was going, in a world of her own until she was abruptly ripped from it as she walked smack band into something, or someone. She dropped the bag she was carrying and the dress fell part of the way out. She looked up and found herself looking at Severus Snape.

"We must stop meeting like this, Mrs Layton," he said with a sneer she hadn't seen in a long time. He handed her the bag and then went to walk away.

"Sorry, and it's Miss Granger again." Severus turned around. "Greg and I got a divorce." 

"I'm very sorry to hear that," he said not sounding the slightest bit interested let alone sorry.

"I'm not, I found out that after all that he was cheating on me, isn't it ironic." She laughed at the thought, but found that the truth still hurt, Greg had found her very unattractive. No woman liked to be told that. Severus turned around and looked at her, the sneer had not dropped from his face.

"I don't see what concern it is of mine, now if you'll excuse me," he turned around again and purposefully strode off. She was hurt by his dismissive behaviour, wanting the other Severus back the one that seemed to be more open and less like the heartless, cold man she once had for a teacher.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" She asked her voice sounded broken, like she'd been injured.

"What do you want from me? You made it quite clear that you didn't want me, and what was I supposed to do? Wait around while you found out what an utter shit your lame excuse for a husband was?" His voice sounded bitter and angry and she got flashbacks of the night in the Shrieking Shack in her third year. She had thought that man was gone, but he wasn't he was standing right next to her, talking to her as if she was still the annoying Gryffindor girl.

"I don't expect anything from you anymore, but I didn't expect you to have this attitude," she said getting angry with him, her voice taking on a harsher tone that she rarely used.

"What attitude, just because I'm not getting all excited and throwing myself at you because you no longer have a husband?" He spat out walking fast; trying to sake her off but she kept the pace well for someone of her stature.

"Well no but…" she started but was cut of by a sharp retort from Severus.

"Good, because I'm not about to. You made your choice, you chose your husband, so I took the hint, I'm over that now." This time she did slow down and he strode on ahead.

'"I didn't expect you to still feel like that, but I thought after everything we could at least be friends!" She called after his retreating form.

He stopped and turned on his heels in one graceful movement. He looked at her and walked towards her, his imposing height and grace was intimidating and daunting. Hermione had the urge to back away but she fought it, staying where she was, standing her ground.

"My friend?" He asked quietly, his voice low and menacing. "You fully expect me to just forget about everything and continue to be your friend?" She went to reply but he didn't give her the chance. "Just when I thought that I could endure no more pain, someone turns around and stamps on the heart I didn't even know I possessed and then they have the nerve to say lets just be friends." His voice was becoming more uneven now, and the pitch kept rising. Hermione realised that she was seeing the real him, the uncontrolled, emotional, vulnerable person that live under the mask of hate. "Well forgive me but I think I will decline your generous offer, if you really thought I was going to spend my whole life loving _you_ then you were sorely mistaken." He turned and Hermione the same tearing sensation in her chest and stomach as if someone was taking out her insides.

"How stupid of me!" She called after him. "To think that I meant something to you, you of all people!"

"You know nothing about me Miss Granger!" He bit back defensively.

"I know that no one else has ever made me feel like you do!" She felt tears form again but it hurt, she had cried so much recently that her eyes were sore and tired and didn't want to cry anymore. "You made me feel like a person, a woman, not just something to be showed off a parties like a performing monkey! When Greg walked away from our marriage only my pride was hurt, but when you walk away from me my whole body hurts!"

"Good!" He retorted in a savage whisper. "Now you know just how I felt. I'm glad that I've finally got my own back." With that he walked away, properly this time. Too hurt by the vicious things he'd said she just watched him walk away the tears flowing despite her protesting eyes. 


	7. Chapter Seven

A/N: Last chapter was very short, but I'd planned it like that, sorry. 

I'd like to say that I am aware how out of character the characters seem but it's hard to keep them in character when their situations are so different to the way they are in the book. 

Another point: Wow! I read Pygmalion by Pigwidgeon, which is brilliant by the way, and my story is so much like it (one of my reviewers said it was and they were right). It wasn't meant to be so much like it, in fact I hadn't read it until the other day, so I don't want the author to think I was copying their work. So my apologies for that. 

Now back to the story.

"Hermione what's wrong?" Harry asked as she opened the door to him, her eyes watery and blotchy from crying.

"N…nothing," she snivelled but Harry wasn't about to let it drop.

"I know you, you don't cry over nothing. Is it Greg?" She snorted in derision and wiped her eyes.

"I wouldn't get into this state over Greg, no it's…someone else," Hermione said.

"Let me guess, his initials are SS aren't they?" Hermione nodded and Harry put his arm around her leading her into the sitting room. "What happened?"

"I saw him in Diagon Alley," she started, picking up a tissue and wiping her eyes and nose with it. "I told him about the divorce and he didn't seem to care. I hoped that we could be friends but he doesn't want anything to do with me. He said he was glad that he'd hurt me because he had finally got his own back." The words had just fell out of her and once she'd stopped the tear began to flow freely again.

"Well," Harry said, "he's a complete bastard for saying that." He lifted Hermione's chin so he could look at her face, into her eyes. "But I can understand why he's reluctant to just be a friend, I mean how would you feel if some chose Greg over you?"

"Pretty bad. God I've been so stupid." She stood up and began to pace; stepping over the floorboard that creaked. "I was unhappy with Greg, I find a man who makes me feel good, who I end up falling in love with and I leave him but I leave him out of some misplaced loyalty to my shit of a husband."

"Everybody makes mistakes Hermione, but you might not be in love you know. You were only together a few weeks, and you weren't even together properly," Harry said watching as she paced back and forth.

"I know but I had sort of liked him before that," she confessed biting her bottom lip. 

"What?" Harry asked in surprise. "How long for?"

"Well since we were at school really. I'd just though it was a crush, you know nothing serious but since the party I haven't been able to stop thinking about him," she said as she ran her fingers through her hair, unsuccessfully as it had turned into a frizzy mess.

"Since school?" Harry's mouth dropped. "Why didn't we know about this?" 

"I wasn't about to tell you and Ron, so that you could have me sectioned!" She exclaimed looking at him in horror.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know Harry. I just don't know."

Severus sat in a small flat in London. It was the flat he owned just in case he couldn't get to his home on the coast. It was tiny compared to the mansion that he usually lived in, but it suited him on occasions.

There was a knock on the door and Severus answered it. He was somewhat reluctant to answer it as he had retreated back into the solitude that he got used to during the war. 

"Sirius?" Severus asked in surprise, this was the last person he was expecting, Sirius did not usually come to his house alone.

"Can I come in? I need to ask a favour?" He put on his most charming smile although he knew that it would be ineffective against this man. Severus narrowed his eyes in suspicious, not liking the idea of Sirius Black asking him a favour.

He let him in though and soon they were sat in the small sitting room that, despite the size, was still kitted out with the most expensive furniture.

"You really are worth a mint aren't you?" Sirius asked in awe, looking around the flat.

"Yes, but you didn't come here to discuss my financial situation," Severus stated and Sirius rolled his eyes choosing not to say anything.

"I came to ask if we could hold my birthday party at your house." Severus looked confused, his eyebrows knitting together and his brow furrowing.

"You want to hold the party here?" Sirius laughed and shook his head.

"Why would I want to hold a party here? I could just hold it at my place," Sirius said. "No I meant at your place, your real home."

"No you may bloody well not hold your party at my house!" Severus said crossing his arms over his chest. Sirius gave him his best puppy dog eyes, he'd had a lot of practice over the years when taking his animagus form.

"Please, if we promise not to break anything?"

"No!"

"It's not as if you aren't invited." 

"No!"

"Oh, please Sev," Sirius said using the forbidden name.

"Don't do that, I'm still not going to let you."

"Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaase?" Severus was enjoying watching Sirius beg and was thinking about stringing him along for a while longer.

"Look all right, but anything gets damaged and you pay for it." He pointed a finger menacingly and Sirius gave him a small, cheeky smile.

"Okay thank you." He got up to leave making Severus think that their conversation was now over. It was, however, far from over. Sirius still had something else to discuss with his old enemy. "Oh, just one more thing," Sirius started and Severus rolled his eyes. "Are you an idiot?"

"You what?" Severus asked his eyebrows shooting up, almost hitting his hairline. He and Sirius had not said anything that could potentially cause an argument for years, choosing instead to adopt the "if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all" attitude so as to avoid conflict. 

"We heard about your little conversation with Hermione," Sirius said painting a disapproving expression on his face.

"Oh did you now?" Severus narrowed his eyes and scowled.

"Yes, and she's very upset you know."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Severus said sarcastically.

"Listen you idiot, she's divorced now and it doesn't take a genius to work out how she feels about you."

"She chose her husband," Severus retorted quickly. "She only left him because she found out he was having an affair."

"No, Harry said that she was thinking about leaving him anyway, before she found that out," Siriussaid abandoning his harsher tone.

"What? I don't believe you." He was looking at Sirius in suspicion.

"You don't have to, but I think you're an idiot for sending her away like that."

"So she was going to leave him?" Severus asked slowly, that truth sinking in.

"Yes, she realised what a prat he was and was planning to go and resolve it all, and then she found him wrapped around some blonde woman."

"Fool," Severus said under his breath but Sirius heard him.

"So are you, she was so upset after she spoke to you. You'd been so nice and then you went back to your nasty, vicious self."

"That's just it though," Severus said running his fingers through his hair. "I am that person, if she doesn't like that then what could there possibly be between us?"

"You weren't like that with her though, you were polite and, and not nasty." Sirius laughed at his choice of words realising how unintelligent they sounded.

"That isn't me, that's the act I learned from you and James Potter at school, I'd watch you chat up these girls and you'd act differently and say what they wanted to hear and they'd fall for it. That was what I was doing." Sirius shook his head.

"No it isn't. That was you, the real you. The you when you're not putting on that neutral mask of yours to hide yourself from the world."

"That is very profound, what a shame that it's also a load of bollocks," Severus said sneering at the man opposite him.

"I think that you're so pissed off because you showed someone the real you, for the first time in your life and they turned you down. That must have hurt." Severus didn't have a reply to that; he just sat there looking at him. Sirius looked at him in surprise. "Oh my God, I'm right, aren't I?" He was shocked, he'd just guessed, clutched at a straw and it had been the right one.

"Get out!" Severus hissed and pointed towards the door.

"She loves you Severus, the real you, she didn't know what she was doing, she was confused." Sirius was babbling trying to get out everything at once. "Now she realises what a mistake she made please if you feel the same tell her she doesn't deserve to get hurt."

"Get out!" He was louder this time, his voice dangerous and commanding. Sirius did not argue this time, nobody argued with that voice.

He left the small flat hoping that he had managed to convince Severus about Hermione. He hoped for her sake, and partly for his. He had to admit that he felt rather sorry for him, everybody wants him to be friendlier, less cruel and when he does he gets turned down. He just couldn't win. 

Hermione was sitting at home writing up some notes that she'd made. She was attempting to write a textbook on Auror training for students. So engrossed was she that she was startled when she heard a knock at the door. 

She pulled herself up and shuffled to the door not feeling very energetic. 

She opened the door and saw Severus standing there. She stuttered at him, unable to form a proper sentence not knowing whether to shout at him or be grateful that he was there.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you." 

"What do you want?" She asked sounding harsher than she'd intended to.

"I want to talk, and to apologise for my unacceptable behaviour," Severus replied. Hermione nodded and let him in. She led him into the living room and motioned for him to sit down.

"Well?" She said feeling like a complete bitch for behaving like this, but she was not about to take any more crap of a man.

"First of all, I'm sorry about what I said in Diagon Alley, it was unacceptable and rude, and if I'm honest completely untrue." He held his breath waiting for her reply.

"Well thank you for your apology, it is accepted. Now I think it is my turn to apologise."

"No," he said holding up his hand stopping her words. "There is no need for you to apologise, you have already, I jut want to put it all behind us now."

"I agree, it's been very stressful. Greg really messed me about."

"Yes, and I'm sorry for making it all worse," he said feeling a wave of guilt wash over him, making him feel quite sick.

"You needn't apologise again either. Besides you did make it clearer for me." 

"How so?" He asked raising one eyebrow.

"Well I realised that I had never felt as strongly about Greg as I had done about you, and I thought I loved him," she said looking up into his eyes, pleased to see that they were not cold and lifeless like they had been in Diagon Alley.

Silence fell between the two, neither wanting to admit the truth. They had both been hurt and they both felt they were in danger of being so again. After a while Severus broke the silence.

"I was attracted to you ages ago you know," he said and she smiled.

"Really?" He nodded. "So was I, attracted to you I mean, not myself." He laughed as she stumbled over her words.

"We've both been really stupid haven't we?" She nodded and smiled sadly.

"It's not totally hopeless though, is it?" She asked this time she held her breath as she awaited his answer.

"Not totally, no," he said and Hermione exhaled. "Although I think you need some time to get over your divorce."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm still really messed up, I don't think it would be good to drag you back into it." He nodded and they both agreed to put whatever was between them on hold for a while. 


	8. Chapter Eight

"Wow, would you look at this place, it's huge," Hermione said as they walked through the grounds of Severus' mansion. "He must be worth a fortune."

"He is," Remus said. "I came here once, during the war, met his mother lovely woman."

"How did Sirius get him to agree to this? I know I wouldn't let us lot lose in a place like this." Remus shrugged and they knocked on the large double doors at the front of the house.

Sirius opened the door smiling broadly. He appeared to have consumed quite a substantial amount of alcohol already and the party hadn't even started.

"Come in," he slurred waving a bottle of something around, gesturing for them to enter. They all looked at each other and raised there eyebrows, all wondering what Sirius would be like by the end of the night.

They walked in and found themselves in a cavernous entrance hall with painting lining the walls. The people in the portraits were all distinguished looking and all had jet-black hair. They waved politely apart from a little girl with raven ringlets who punched the young boy next to her and then ran out of the picture.

"Wow," was all Harry could say as they walked into a smaller room where they could hear music blasting out of a speaker.

"Isn't this the best place to have a party?" Sirius shouted over the music swaying as he looked around. "Come on I'll get you all drinks." He stumbled his way towards the table that the drinks were spread out on. 

"You're a real piss head, you know that?" Remus said shaking his head.

"And you can be a real miserable sod when you want to be," Sirius said as he handed him a large glass that was full of an amber coloured liquid. "Go have a good time, drink lots, but if you break something you have to pay for it."

A few hours later everyone had drank more then their body weight in alcohol and luckily enough nothing had been broken. Hermione's vision was going blurry and when she sat down the room seemed to spin, it was as if she could feel the world as it spun on its axis. She was unsteady on her feet as she was swung around by Sirius who was falling over every five seconds and slurring his words, but still continued to deny that he was drunk.

"He's going to be so ill in the morning," Severus said as he sat down with his drink. He had consumed a large amount himself and had to stare at things a long time before they came into focus.

"No he won't," Remus said bracing himself on the table to stop himself from swaying, the motion making him feel queasy. "He never does, I'd love to know his secret." Severus raised his glass as if to toast Remus' words.

Hermione came up to them, smiling, her eyes glassy and unfocused, but she looked happy. 

"Hey," she said cheerfully falling onto a seat rather ungracefully.

"Hey," Severus said back mimicking her tone.

"This is a great house," she said looking around slowly so that she wouldn't get dizzy. "It's really…old, and…big." Severus laughed at her words, they seemed so inarticulate for someone as intelligent as her. 

"Do you want the grand tour?" He asked standing up rather shakily. She nodded excitedly and he took her hand, pulling her off her chair and breaking off into a run. Realising is was a bad idea in his state he slowed down and she whacked into him making them both stumble and struggle to keep their balance. 

Once they were steady on their feet again he led her through a large door and into another room. It was just as big as the last room and the furniture was made of the same heavy, dark wood that must be old and expensive. They could hear muffled voices coming from inside the room and they immediately began to investigate.

Two people lay on one of the large ornate sofas. It was Draco and Claire. They looked up, embarrassed at being caught like this and went to sit up. Draco was blushing heavily, making his usually pale skin red. Claire was trying to cover herself up, but was failing miserably.

"Sorry to disturb you, we'll just be going," Severus said trying to contain his laughter. He dragged Hermione out of the room and into the large entrance hall. They both burst out laughing once the door was closed behind them but they tried to stifle it knowing that they could still be heard through the door.

"That image is going to haunt me you know," Hermione said through her giggles. Severus nodded in agreement when she looked up at him. 

Their laughter died away and they looked at each other. Herman felt her heart beat increase until it felt like it would burst through her chest. The tension crackled between them and Hermione felt herself being dragged towards him. It seemed like he was under the same compulsion as he too moved towards her until their lips met. It was a feeling that they had both missed, the feeling of soft lips meeting, moving together.

"I don't want to wait for you," Hermione whispered against his lips. He gasped slightly and pressed forward, capturing her lips in a more heated kiss. Holding her by the waist he pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around his neck he pulled away and kissed the side of her face.

"Nor I you," he whispered into her ears, making her shiver with the erotic sensation. "Shall we cut the tour short?" He asked and she nodded eagerly.

He scooped her up in his arms and she gave a little squeal. It seemed such an archaic, romantic gesture but it seemed to be appropriate especially considering their surroundings. He started to walk up the stairs with her up he lost his balance half way up the large staircase. He put one hand out to stop himself being hurt and the other braced her so she would not be crushed. They both started giggling and as they got to their feet and despite Hermione's protests Severus picked her back up and carried her the rest of the way.

At the top of the stairs he walked a little way down the landing and then through a door. It was a bedroom with a large king sized, four poster bed, covered in silky green sheets. Severus stumbled a little and they fell onto the bed both still chuckling in between kisses. She fumbled with the front of his tee shirt and Severus looked down at her, raising his eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" He slurred.

"Trying to undo the buttons," she said and he laughed. "What?" She asked and he continued to laugh. "What?" She asked laughing as well but not knowing why.

"There…aren't…any buttons… on it," he said his words punctuated with laughing fits. She laughed as well as she looked down and saw he was wearing a tee shirt. 

"Well that makes things easier," she said and pulled his face down for a kiss. The kiss was lazy and relaxed, the only trouble was it was a little too relaxed. She seemed to go still and Severus pulled up to look at her. She had passed out cold. Severus sighed and rolled off the bed, landing clumsily on the floor with a thud. He got up and tucked her into the bed, kissing her on the forehead before leaving to rejoin the party.

When Hermione got up in the morning she looked around the room, not remembering how she got there. She had a thumping headache that was making her nauseous and she rubbed her temples trying to get rid of the pain. She looked around and saw a bottle on the bedside table with a note attached to it.

Hermione 

I figured you would have a flaming hangover so I thought you might appreciate this.

Severus.

Hermione smiled and consumed the contents of the bottle feeling it start to work immediately. She pulled herself out of the comfortable bed and walked downstairs. She walked into the room where the party had been held and was greeted by the strong smell of alcohol. There were discarded glasses lying around and some of the liquid had been spilt, it looked a complete mess.

The door opened again and Harry walked in. He smiled at her and seemed to ignore the state of the room.

"Hey," he said. "You're awake. You passed out last night." Hermione cringed.

"I didn't make a complete fool of myself did I?" She asked and Harry shrugged.

"Dunno, you were with Severus, he put you to bed. You feeling okay?"

"Yes, Severus left me a hangover remedy," she said. "This place looks like a tip."

"Don't worry Severus has already surveyed the damage, said it's nothing that can't be cleaned up," Harry said pulling Hermione from the room.

"He was that calm about it?" She asked in disbelief.

"Well not at first but once he'd had some coffee," Harry said dragging her into a room that looked like the dining room. "You should have some coffee to before we set off for home, it's dangerous to aparate if you haven't got a clear head."

They drank the coffee that Sirius had made them all. You would have never guessed that Sirius had drank anything last night, he was cheerful and far too energtic.

"Great party," Sirius said as he bit into a piece of toast, making everyone feel a little sick. 

When they had all fully recovered they left for home. Sirius had tried to escape as well but Severus had made him stay to help him clear up the mess. Saying their goodbyes they all aparated back to their homes and Severus watched Hermione leave him once again.

Months later…

"What are we doing in Muggle London again?" Severus asked Hermione as they walked down the road, past record shops and café's. 

"To get my cousin's birthday present," Hermione said as they pushed their way past a crowd of people all trying to get into MacDonalds. "She doesn't know I'm a witch so I have to buy her Muggle presents." They walked a few metres down the road when Hermione stopped. "I need to pop in here for a minute." Severus walked behind her but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the shop's sign.

"I can't go in there," he said backing away from the shop. "It's lingerie shop." Hermione laughed, and when she saw his indignation she tried to smother it.

"Why not?" She asked almost enjoying his discomfort.

"Because I'll look like a pervert," he said in a hushed voice, looking around nervously at the people walking past.

"Not if you're with me, you'll just look like my boyfriend." His posture stiffened at this. They had not talked about the manner of their relationship for months now, what she said brought it hurtling to the front of their minds. "Look okay," she said choosing to get off that subject. "You don't have to come in, you can wait outside."

With that agreed she went into the shop and Severus stayed outside. She knew that he would not want to come in this shop with her and she was glad. She walked up and down the aisles looking for something sexy. Just because they hadn't spoke about their relationship didn't mean that Hermione hadn't thought about it. She was working herself up to discuss it with him and she hoped that they would finally get together. Hence the sexy underwear that she wanted to buy. 

Severus was outside patiently for Hermione. He watched people go past, the people going about their everyday lives he. He was deep in thought, Hermione had mentioned their relationship, and perhaps this was an indication that she was read y to start a relationship with him. The prospect both excited him and scared him. He'd become used to their friendship, even though he had desire more. 

He was brought out of his thought when he saw a familiar face across the road. A man walked out of a shop with a young, thin woman very long straightened brown hair. Greg and his new girlfriend presumably were coming out of a café. She was laughing and stroking his arm, and he seemed to be enjoying it. 

Severus walked across the road weaving in and out of the gridlocked traffic. He walked up to Greg who seemed to recognise him immediately. Severus put on his best "we're having guest round for dinner" manners and greeted him.

"Greg, hello. Do you remember me?" He said extending his right hand. Greg looked at the hand with disgust but shook it anyway. 

"Yes, but I'm sorry I don't recall your name," he said in his posh but bland voice.

"Severus," he said and saw that Greg rolled his eyes slightly at this. 

"Yes I thought it was something unusual. This is Marisa." He gestured towards the woman on his arm and she held her hand out to Severus, who took it and kissed it lightly. 

"A pleasure," he said making his voice as provocative as he could make it. Marisa blushed and giggled earning herself a glare from Greg.

"What brings you here? Not your sort of place this." Greg said looking Severus up and down, taking in the sight of his "normal" clothes.

"I'm her with Hermione," Severus said enjoying the nervous look on the man's face.

"Really? How is she?" Greg asked not really sounding like he wanted to know. Severus looked around and saw that Hermione was coming out of the shop.

"Why don't you ask her yourself? Hermione!" He shouted attracting her attention. When she looked at him he motioned for her to come over. She saw him standing with Greg and another woman and she froze. She was thinking about running around but Severus was persistent so she crossed the road and joined them. "Did you get everything?"

"Yes thanks." She turned to Greg. "Hello Greg, you look well," she said just to be polite.

"Thank you. Hermione this is Marisa, my fiancé." 

'Well he didn't waste any time,' Hermione thought.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm very happy for you," Hermione said feeling quite sad.

"Yes, I only hope you are happy for us as well," Sevrus said putting his arm around Hermione's shoulders. Hermione had to hide her surprise.

"Oh, well, of course I'm very happy for you." Greg had suspected that they were together and that had confirmed it. "Now, I hate to be rude but we really have to be going now."

"Of course, well nice seeing you again, Greg," Severus lied and shook Greg's hand once again. "Good bye Marisa," he said as they were walking away. She turned around and smiled at him, looking back longer than Greg would have liked. Severus winked at her and she giggled giving him a small wave.

Once they were out of sight Severus and Hermione walked away in the opposite direction. 

"She was very pretty," Hermione said looking at the floor as she walked. She didn't see Severus' shrug.

"She's all right. It's a shame she's after his money though," Severus said a hint of amusement in his voice.

"How do you know she is?" Hermione asked looking up at him.

"Because she was flirting with me the whole time I was standing there, batting her fake eyelashes at me," he said.

"So?"

"So, women don't usually do that to me, unless they want something. Women like her can sense how much money a man has." 

"Are you speaking from experience?" Hermione asked.

"I've dated a few women who only liked me because they'd seen my family name in the society columns, yes." 

There was silence for a few minutes as they walked further towards the aparation point down an alley behind a small restaurant. She looked at the people they were passing on the street. She watched as a woman struggled to get a pushchair onto a red bus, and saw how the other passengers tutted as the bus was being held up.

"I don't think I've ever looked at the society column," she said after a while. He stopped in his tracks for a moment then carried on walking, never looking at her, thinking to himself.

"I know," he replied getting what she was hinting at. He was never very good at reading female subtext but what she had implied was blatantly obvious.

"Did you, erm, mean what you said, back there, with Greg?" She asked still looking down, kicking a stone that was in her path.

"About you and me?"

"Yes."

"We'd never really discussed it, not for a while anyway." He paused and the silence fell over them once more.

"Maybe we should discuss it," Hermione suggested.

"Okay." Neither said anything, both hoping that the other would be the first to start.

They arrived at the aparation point and they had still not begun their discussion. 

"Shall we back to my place?" She asked and Severus nodded. With that they both disappeared into thin air.

Back at Hermione's house she let them both in and soon they were sitting in the living room drinking tea, still trying to avoid the subject of their relationship.

"Okay I'm just going to come out with this," Hermione said quickly putting down her tea. "I was a complete bitch to you, I chose my sod of a husband, who turned out to be a cheating bastard and so naturally you were pretty pissed off." Hermione was congratulating herself for being so coherent, fearing that she may have turned into a bumbling idiot. "I believe that we have got past that, but if you haven't and you no longer feel that way about me then that's fine but you need to know how I feel."

"Hermione," he butted in but she held her hand up to silence him.

"Please, let me finish." She took a deep breath praying that she would not be rejected. "I love you." Silence again, but this time it was a tense silence that Hermione felt was suffocating her. "Say something," she said looking over at Severus who seemed to be in a state of shock. 

"I apologise, it's just that I don't get many women confessing their love for me." She smiled sheepishly and blushed. "Especially not women who I happen to be in love with myself."

"What?" She said scarcely believing that he felt the same way, she was sure that he would have thought about her differently.

"You heard me," he said not willing to repeat it.

"I wasn't expecting you to still feel like that," she said.

"Of course I do, do you have any idea how hard it's been to just stay your friend?" Hermione smiled, feeling elated at being the object of his affections for so long.

"Well I'm sorry, but you were right, I needed all that time to get over what happened with me and Greg," she said and leant over to put her hand over his. "But today when I saw Greg with that woman I felt nothing at all, I didn't feel jealous that he was with her, or that they were getting married. You know what made me the most jealous?"

"What?" Severus asked his voice seemed smaller than usual.

"The way that really beautiful woman was flirting with you, I mean, don't you find me unattractive? She asked. Severus smiled a little and rolled his eyes.

"Hermione." 

Putting his hand on the back of her head he pulled her closer. He met her half way and their lips touched. She inhaled sharply through her nose in surprise, her nostrils being invaded by his strong, expensive scent. She had forgotten how soft those harsh thin lips felt and what a wonderful kisser he was. Her hands which had hung limply at her sides now encircled his neck pulling him closer. He shifted and pushed forward so she had to lie back. They were kissing with more and more passion now and his hands were free to roam about her body underneath him. Hermione felt like she was on fire, she had wanted this a long time ago and now she that had it she felt more complete, more alive. The last time she had been with him she had compared him to Greg, but now she wasn't thinking about anybody else, nobody else mattered anymore.

"Hermione," he said breathlessly as he pulled away from the kiss and sat up. "Are you sure about this?"

Hermione said nothing, she just sat up and swung her legs over the side of the sofa, standing up in one motion. She reached for his hand and pulled him up off the sofa, leading him out of the living room and upstairs to her bedroom.

She had thought that their coupling at the party had been wonderful but this made it look like drunken fumbling. The added bonus this time was that it was light and they could see each other. But the most important thing was that it wasn't about sex, the last time she had been confused and frustrated, this time she knew that she wanted him not just his body, all of him.

He brought her closer and closer to completion and she revelled in the feeling of being with him, the feel of him on top of her and inside her, his scent, the sounds he was making, the look on his face. 

He was feeling the same, he had dreamed about this body, her body. It wasn't exactly the sex that had haunted his mind, although it had haunted his dreams, it was being close to her. The intimacy was what he missed about sharing a bed with someone. The mind-blowing sex was just an added benefit.

Their love making was slow but soon they were desperate for completion, their pace speeding up until they cried out their release. He collapsed atop her as they both struggled for air, feeling hot and sweaty. She stroked his hair and he shivered as she touched the sensitive scar that he had on the back of his head, the one her and her friends had caused that night in the Shrieking Shack.

He rolled off her and lay on his side facing her. He smoothed the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled at him and he found himself smiling back.

"That was wonderful," she said as she snuggled into him.

"I agree," he said stroking her hair like she had done to him. 

"Does this mean we're together now?" She asked still not sure despite what they had just done. He laughed.

"Yes, I think we can safely say we're together." She was ecstatic, she'd hadn't felt this happy since the end of the war when Voldemort had been killed. Not even her wedding day had made her this happy, that proved the strength of her feeling towards Severus.

"I love you," she said with confidence, knowing it to be the complete truth.

"I, er, I love you too," he said not sounding so sure. She was worried that maybe he hadn't meant it or wasn't sure. It must have shown on her face because he put her at her ease. "I have a problem with saying things like that."

"You told Dumbledore," Hermione said.

"I tell him everything, he's like my counsellor. I don't mind telling him things because he keeps them strictly between us. Although I'll think twice before telling him anything again."

"He only told Harry because he thought it was best for you," Hermione said. She was grateful for the headmasters gossiping mature, it was how she became aware of how strong Severus' feelings for her were.

"I know." They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while and then, even though it as early they fell asleep from exhaustion, it had been a busy day, what with the shopping and the passionate love making afterwards. 

Severus woke up later, about ten o'clock PM, and for a moment forgot where he was. The surroundings were not familiar and the bed definitely wasn't his. He looked over at the woman sleeping in his arms and smiled, suddenly remembering where he was and why he was there. He also felt starving, his stomach rumbled in a sort of protest against the lack of food. Without waking Hermione he untangled himself from her and climbed out of bed.

After virtually throwing his clothes on, guessing that he would be taking them off very soon, he padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. He made some sandwiches out of what he could find in the fridge and was just about to take them upstairs when he heard a knock at the door. He was going to ignore it but then thought that if it was one of her friends they may worry at her not being in at this time of night. 

When he answered the door he saw it was Harry, who was very shocked to see him there at night.

"Oh, er, hi," Harry said looking at Severus, seeing the state of his clothes guessing that he'd dressed in a hurry.

"Hello," Severus said not really knowing what else to say.

"Erm, tell her I found those lecture notes she wanted," Harry said handing him a few sheets of parchment.

"Okay I will. Is that all?" He said asking politely.

"Yes, I'll go now and leave you alone." He hesitated as if he was waiting to be told exactly what was going on. When he didn't get any verification he walked away saying his goodbyes. "Have fun!" He shouted from down the road.

"So Harry saw you dressed like that?" Hermione said later while they were eating in bed. She was sitting under the covers slightly but he was still half-dressed, on his knees sitting on his heels.

"Yes, I'm sorry I would have put on my best dress robes if I knew the Great Mr Potter was coming around." She gave him a playful smack on the arm for his sarcasm but laughed as well.

"Oh well, saves me the job of telling everyone we're together, if Harry knows it'll be round the group before you know it."

"Is that such a bad thing?" He asked.

"No," she said smiling and climbing out from under the covers and over to him. She sat astride him and put her arms around his neck. "It's great, I think they'll all be glad." She kissed him lightly.

"Not as glad as I am," he said as she placed light kisses over his face. 

"What did Harry say?" She asked.

"He told us to have fun," he replied.

"Shall we then?"

He then pushed forward so she was lying on her back with him on top of her. Their food was soon forgotten. 


	9. Epilogue

A/N: Thanks to everyone for their reviews, they were great and none of them were nasty, for which I am very grateful. I realise that my grammar leaves little to be desired and can do with major improvements but I am trying. Anyway I'm glad you liked this story and I hope you will read more of my work in the future. 

Love Louise.

Epilogue.

A small, girl with straight jet-black hair ran across the lawn to her mother who was sitting in a chair reading a book.

"Mummy!" She shouted as she ran, waving a newspaper in the air. "Mummy Dippy gave me the newspaper!" Hermione looked over and smiled at her daughter.

"Thank you Andrius," she said as she took the paper off her daughter and put the book down. Andrius was out of breath but was still running around. It was always difficult to get her to sit down; she was the most energetic child. She was thin and quite tall for someone her age, but Hermione assumed that she inherited that from her father. 

"Lizzy wants me to go to her house for the night, can I go mummy, pleeeeaaassse?" She pleaded bouncing around her mother.

"No, your father's coming home today," Hermione said as she read the newspaper.

"But Morpheus is going to Kyle's house, why doesn't he have to stay?" The young girl asked stamping her foot on the floor.

"Because he's older, and he's seen your father all year, you haven't seen him at all and you haven't written. The least you can do is stay here at least for tonight." Andrius scowled at her mother but Hermione just laughed when she did that, she looked like a mini female version of her father.

"Well if Lizzy tells me she's not my friend because I can't stay at her house, it's all your fault," Andrius shouted as she ran of down the massive garden.

"Okay!" Hermione shouted after her.

Hermione went back to reading her paper. She still liked reading the Muggle newspaper, it was a habit that she hadn't been able to get out of, and Severus had never really cared very much about this habit. As she was reading an article caught her eye.

MINISTER ACCUSED OF ADULTERY.

Hermione read on, thinking only that it was very similar to her own experience. Soon she realised just how similar. She had heard that Greg had managed to get into the cabinet as the Minister for Education, but she had ignored it, wanting nothing to do with Greg Layton.

The Minister for Education, Mr Greg Layton is being sued for divorce by his third wife Angela Knowles, a government back-bencher. She claims he is having an affair with his aid, who shall remain nameless for legal reasons. 

Mr Layton has been married twice before; each has resulted in divorce. His first wife, Hermione Granger, can not be found, and his second wife, Marisa Laughton refuses to comment on their marriage.

Hermione couldn't believe what she was reading. The last time she had heard about Greg he was happily married to Marisa and she had never heard of this woman, Angela Knowles. Hermione thought of it as a great victory that she was happily married with two wonderful children, and Greg's life was in a complete mess. It was the sweetest revenge, and it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

"Boo," came a deep voice next to her ear. She jumped, startled out of her reverie and turned to see Severus leaning over her. "You were reading the paper very intently, something interesting?"

"No, pretty mundane actually," she said putting the paper on the floor and setting it alight with her wand, smiling as she watched it burn. She turned back to Severus who was giving her a very suspicious look. She grinned broadly and stood up to kiss him. "Welcome home."

"Thank you, it's good to be home. School was very boring, and I hate being away for so long," he said hugging her. He felt guilty for having to stay away from home, even though Hermione and Andrius were allowed to stay over sometimes.

"Daddy!" Came a high, excited voice from down the garden. Severus looked up and saw his daughter running towards him, her arms outstretched. The girl jumped into his arms and he squeezed her tight as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Daddy Lizzy wants me to stop at hers but mummy said I can't."

"Did she, well you should listen to your mother," Severus said as he put her back down on the floor.

"But please daddy, Morpheus gets to go out tonight why can't I?" Severus thought about this for a while, and he formed a plan in that cunning brain of his.

"That's right, he is going to be out isn't he." He turned to Hermione. "That means that if Andrius goes out then we'll be alone in the house." Hermione cottoned on.

"Yes, all by ourselves, what ever could we do on our own?" They had both ignored Andrius and she was getting impatient.

"Does that mean I can go?" She asked confused about everything and her parents turned to her. 

"Yes dear. Spend as long as Lizzy wants you there," Hermione said suddenly excited at the prospect of spending all that time alone with her husband.

A tall boy of about twelve came outside to join them. He was the spitting image of Severus, and his peers, because of this, constantly teased him. But he didn't care, he hero-worshipped his father, something that Severus was always concerned about. He didn't consider himself a very good role model for a young boy. 

"Hello mom," he said as he kissed her on the cheek. "I have to be at Kyle's for five."

"Okay love, how was school?" The boy frowned.

"Okay I suppose, Lucy Mason, she's a Hufflepuff," he made a face at this, "keeps staring at me." Hermione laughed at this.

"I shouldn't worry," she said patting her son on the shoulder.

"It's really creepy, it's like she's spying on me. Everywhere I go she's there too."

"Just go and pack your stuff," she said, "you too Andrius, I'll come up and help you in a bit."

The two children ran off, racing each other up the garden. Hermione turned around to Severus, she was grinning inanely and it unnerved him slightly.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked.

"Nothing I just realised how happy I am," she said and laughed at his disgusted expression.

"That's disgustingly sweet and sickly," he said faking a shiver. She laughed and punched him on the arm lightly. 

They walked up the garden towards the house both talking and laughing, while behind them the ash that was once the Muggle newspaper blew away in the breeze. 


End file.
